The Darkness of Konoha
by badsy
Summary: What happens if Uzumaki Naruto was born with the Darkness instead of Kyubi? My first fan fiction attempt. This is a total revamp of the series.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own either Naruto or the Darkness nor their prospective characters. Both stories lie with their prospective copyright.

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_**Prologue: A Glimpse**_

It was raining yet there was not a cloud in the sky. It was coming from a far distance, the raindrops carried by the wind. Naruto was normally not an appreciator of nature yet he found himself strangely alert to his surroundings. This was probably the brains' method to prevent him from dying.

_I read about this_, he thought, _the brain tries to stay conscious so it goes into overkill and all the senses temporarily become hypersensitive_. This was a prime example, he could sense everything; he could see the cool rain drops, taste them, he can smell the moist air, he could hear the sound of trickling water and he could feel the pain of having a huge hole through his chest.

It was a big hole, bigger than a fist, and it went right through his heart. Naruto could not help but feel his knees buckle and knelt down as if push forward, his knees making a sickening thud on the dull stone earth.

_Ow_, Naruto thought. He would have spoken but all that came out was a gurgle, blood was already filling up his lungs. He saw a figure appear before him, his eyes were growing dim, but his hearing was still there.

"There was no other way..." the figure said, it was obviously glaring at Naruto, "...you're sacrifice will not been in vain Uzumaki Naruto. I promise."

_You got any ideas?_ Naruto indicated his question not to the figure but rather to himself...well, to be more precise Naruto's darker half. The Darkness, Naruto's closest companion and considering his situation, probably his only companion, was strangely silent. It loved to throw in its two cents, ridicule Naruto for being weak, wanting to kill people and eat them, it became more of a nuisance rather than an ally, but still it was always there in a pinch.

"Now Naruto, it is time we depart-" The figure closed in on Naruto, its hand raised to grab him. _Why you son of a-_

"This is not going...to go...the way you think." The hand froze and withdrew back into the grim looking shadow. Naruto's mouth was slowly spewing forth blood like a demonic fountain, groaning.

_I am not going out like this._ A surge of anger festered within him, he could feel The Darkness using it twisting, and he could feel some strength return; not much but enough to get up. Naruto could feel the legs burn, and he could feel the open chest wound bleed that much more. The figure stepped back in surprise and caution.

_Dammit, I thought I would be able to see better._ As a shadow grew in his mind, the ambient noise dwindled away.

_**Don't slap a helping hand away you useless twat**_. Naruto breathed in a sigh of relief, but felt an undeniable pain in his lungs. It hurt enough to draw out sweat and tears.

_Where have-_

_**I have presented you an opportunity and opening. Do not waste it.**_ The shadow vanished before it would explain itself.

_Cryptic as ever_.

"Impossible. How could you be standing?" The figure took a step back, then another.

"Don't you see...the odds are against you." Naruto said, a grin spread across bloody lips and his eyes gazed beyond the figure into the sky, where a stormy cloud was slowly approaching slowly blotting out the sun. The figure, the shadow looked behind him and gasped in horror. The figure got into a fighting stance, if Naruto was to be defeated it had to be now or the figure was a goner.

"You are...without hope." Naruto mumbled, he could feel himself getting stronger still. The figure was unnerved and angry but its legs gave away the real desire; to regroup and retreat, but it knew it was foolhardy and had no choice but to go forward. The figure lunged with all its might.

"Don't underestimate me!"


	2. Chapter 1: A Dwindiling Rebirth

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, The Darkness nor their respective characters. Both stories lie with their respective copyright holders.

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_**Chapter 1: A Dwindling Rebirth**_

_**October 10th- Many years ago  
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The nights of Konoha are average as one might expect; there are good nights and there are bad nights. They could be either for whatever reason, maybe one shinobi returned from a particularly hard mission and wanted to celebrate, perhaps, one of their comrades did not make it from the field and a soon to be grieving partner needs to be informed, it all depends on your point of view. However, ever so often there are special nights, nights that have relevant significance that affects everyone regardless their point of view.

This night is a special day for two reasons; the first is that a child is about to be born into the world, a joyous occasion that warrants celebration, yet that celebration will have to be postponed for a more appropriate time. There must be a postponement because of the second reason. The second reason is because this night, Konoha is under attack.

"Hold it off until the Hokage can make it to the front!" a young Jonin commanded to his subordinates, he expertly dodged one of his comrades dead body's being flung back at the defenders like a rag doll.

"Don't let it get any further to the city!" cried another, and charged with all their might. They were brave to be sure but could not stop their opponent; he was too powerful...and too big. Giant claws the size of a house slammed on the ground with all their might. Nine tails that when swung could topple mountains and create tidal waves. Teeth so sharp you could shave with them, and fur as red as the blood of its victims.

"The Kyubi has come to Konoha." A jounin wearing the attire of the ANBU with a heavy black overcoat gazed at the monster that towered over them like a skyscraper, "God help us all."

"God, Ibiki?" came a gruff voice behind him, "Never took you for a religious man." Ibiki turned to see a man walk out from the woods, he wore a long white robe and a hat in a triangular shape with red lining. Ibiki immediately stood upright and bowed.

"Hokage. You have arrived!"

"Of course, step back." The surrounding party complied, and after a few brief hand seals the Hokage cried "Summoning Jutsu!" A rush of black smoke and a creature rivalling Kyubi in size appeared.

"Let's finish this." The Hokage cried, the Kyubi noticing a prospective challenge snarled with a combination of rage and amusement. The rest as you know is history.

Far away from the frontlines, word reached the Konoha hospital that the Kyubi was down for the count. That was convenient as the hospital was at full capacity, although there were a lot of people that were critical, it could have been much worse and the doctors knew it.

"Excellent, now we can work without fear of more injured." A doctor gasped in relief. The triage floor was practically at full capacity.

"Yes, now shall w-what the hell was that?" The doctor looked at his assistant with curious eyes, _hear what?_ However he heard it to, everyone on the triage floor could hear it; it was a scream. Though that was not unnatural considering the circumstances of the attack, the fact that it sounded like someone was strangling a cat, scratching nails on chalkboard, pick your metaphor; bottom line, it did not sound human. Truth be told it was quite unsettling.

"There it goes again." Said the assistant, worry etched across her face. She glanced around, but could see that it was starting to make the injured very nervous; some were glancing up at the ceiling, other closed their eyes and tried to block it out. The doctor could not do his work without some sense of peace.

"Find out where that is and get them to shut up," the doctor demanded indicating to his assistant, "sedate them if you must."

"Yes, sir." The assistant ran off with a sense of purpose, it was not on the triage level on the bottom floor so it was higher, she started to ascend the stairs two at the time, the screams getting louder and louder, yet worse and worse. First level, nothing, neither did second and third_, this is impossible_, the assistant thought, _who the hell is screaming?_

She reached the final floor, the materiality ward, and while the floors below them were desolate this was busy; it looked like the whole maternity team was up in arms over something. There were five doctors and 16 nurses all over the floor, running backwards and forwards gathering medicinal herbs and other items, they were all running into one room on the floor.

"What is going on?" The assistant, annoyance and curiosity were in her voice. A doctor of very old age did not even look at her, he was pushing a cart filled with blood capsules into the room.

"Don't even get me started intern, I had to evacuate all the other mothers on this floor and the one below us; it was starting to scare them."

"What is happening?" The assistant seemed nervous, the screams were louder than ever, almost deadening. The old man paused, after a brief moment he continued to hall in the cart.

"I don't know, either help us or get out of here." The assistant paused, his supervisor would not be pleased but she could not sit by, besides the staff could use all the help they could get. She took a deep breath and sidestepped besides three nurses, both looked like they were about to throw up. The assistant stepped inside the maternity room, _what the hell?_

There was blood everywhere, All five doctors including the old one hauling the cart, were gathered around a bed, this is the source of the screaming. Two doctors were huddled around a biorhythm readout, looking at the readouts desperately to find something, yet failing, the old doctor was hanging the blood capsules up on the rack next to the bed. The remaining two were huddled at the foot of the bed.

At the very centre of this fiasco, on the bed, was a woman who used to be strikingly beautiful, emphasis of 'used to be', who was obviously pregnant, giving birth at that moment. She was also dying. The woman who the assistant guessed was in her early 20's was bleeding from every orifice and otherwise; her nose, her mouth even her eyes and ears, her flaming red her was caked with blood.

"Hang on Kushina. We're almost there." One of the doctors over was yelling over her. He might as well have been talking to a brick wall. The woman, Kushina was in obvious pain; worse than what is to be expected from a pregnancy.

The assistant whispered to a passing nurse; "What is going on?"

"We don't know, everything was normal, she was in pre labour but then..." the nurse waivered "this all happened, we can't stop the bleeding, it seems like the baby is killing her."

"What about the baby?"

"That's the problem, it is perfectly normal, pulse is good heart rate is better; there is no sign of foetal trauma. We can't explain it." Before the assistant could enquire further the nurse ran off.

"The head! I can see the head Kushina! Give us another push and it is over!" A doctor cried. The woman cried out in agony and with her final ounce of her strength pushed. A new child was born into the world, screaming from the cold.

"It's a boy!" One of the nurse observed and for the briefest moment everyone seem relieved, even the mother. However, all that was short lived, all the readouts of the mother crashed at the same time.

"What?" A doctor cried. The old doctor snatched the baby a way and wrapped a blanket around him, he then quickly placed it in the arms of the assistant, she resisted but to no avail.

"What is your name?" The old doctor glared.

"M-Mimiki" answered the assistant.

"Mimiki...HOLD HIM! Drop him and I will beat you all the way to the infirmary. It's a baby." The old doctor returned to hanging the blood tablets and trying to replace the blood of the mother.

"Oh god! It hurts..." Kushina cried weakly, her tears bloody, "Naruto...I...don't...understand...I" Her voice gagged as if choking.

"Come on!" One of the doctors said, reaching for a handful of adrenaline pens, he picked one and slammed it into her heart. The readout responded by flickering back on.

"Try and stop the bleeding, we don't have much blood left."

"Okay, nurse get me some bandages, I will start repairs okay-what the hell?" Everyone from the bed jumped away in shock; the mother was changing, her body seemingly aging at a rapid rate, her body was slowly drying up; skin cracking and her skin turned slightly translucent, her wavy red hair starting to shrivel up.

"I feel...hollow...I feel...oh god..." Her eyes gazed into the bundle in the assistant's hands, "Naruto...why...I-I don't...ugh!" With that Kushina's eyes closed, she slumped into the bed. The machines finally flat-lined. Her body dried up leaving a empty husk that was once a human being. Her voice faded, her eyes sunk in and her skin peeled and cracked, she was still; a statute contorted in utter pain. The sudden turn of events shocked everyone in the room, silence was golden, even the baby was quiet.

"What the fuck?" said one of the nurses. Even the doctors were terrified, doctors who were battle medics, doctors who have seen some horrible injuries and deaths. The old doctor took a white sheet and draped it over the dead girl, in a way seemed to lessen the tension in the room not having to look at her. One of the doctors whispered in nervous tones.

"Have you EVER seen something like that before?" The doctor, a young man directed the question at the old doctor, obviously the most experienced man in the room, but in actuality was directing the question to anyone who would answer. The old doctor shook his head slowly, wiping away the sweat on his forehead; his hands shaking.

"What do we do?" asked a nurse.

"We write up a report. We inform the Hokage. We try and figure out what actually happened."

"That will not be necessary." Everyone turned and saw a man in the hallway, the absence of light created an ominous shadow. Everyone was curious as to who it was except the old doctor who was obviously was familiar with the spectre.

"What do you mean Lord Danzo?" The old man asked with an even tone. The spectre slowly hobbled forwards into the brightly lit operating room. The man known as Danzo looked almost crippled, he had a cane in his left hand and his right eye was heavily bandaged, he also had a huge frown; it seemed that smiling would shatter his face.

"The village does not need this stress, bury her," he nodded to the draped corpse, "and bury this incident. There is no need to inform the Hokage."

"What do you mean? Why not?" The old doctor enquired, he seemed flustered with this turn of events.

"The Fourth Hokage is gone." Danzo whispered. Everyone in the room tensed, Mimiki mulled it over. _Danzo can't mean-_

"What do you mean gone?" One of the nurses pushed forward.

"He is _**gone**_." Danzo repeated. The old man understood and nodded sadly.

"What do we do with the child?" Danzo shrugged at the question.

"Let the Third decide. When he develops I will see what he is capable of. What is his name?"

"Naruto." Everyone turned to the source; it was Mimiki.

"Naruto? Odd name." Danzo made a mental note of the name and simply left. The assistant would have further enquired as to what is to be done, but Danzo simply vanished into thin air. Mimiki blinked in surprise, _despite being an old man he is rather spry_. Mimiki gazed down into her arms and looked at the baby in the bundle, he stared up at her, his eyes groggy making a 'cooing' noise.

"Hello Naruto, welcome to the big world."


	3. Chapter 2: A Grown Child

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, The Darkness nor their respective characters. Both stories lie with their respective copyright holders.

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_**Chapter 2: The Baby to a Child**_

11 years, 11 months, 3 weeks and 5 days later (2 Days before October 10th)

A near twelve year old Naruto walked out of the bathroom fully clothed, a pair of orange pants and his eyes groggy with sleep or lack of it. In an attempt to wake up he stretched he leaned backward and rolled his arms in huge circles; he could feel his stomach growling, demanding to be fed. He slowly moved towards the kitchen still groggy and felt for the fridge, he opened and pulled out the milk or what he thought it was. He poured it down an old glass lying next to the sink and without even opening his eyes to check, downed it.

_Ugh, gross!_ The milk was sour, old, he could already feel his stomach heave in response, Naruto could not fight it, the only thing he could do was get his head into the sink. He could feel himself hurl and the blood rushing to his head so fast that he felt dizzy. Naruto felt a little queasy and sat down on the floor back to the bench, at least he was more than awake as well as was no longer hungry. Eyes open, he looked at the carton of milk still in his hand and looked it over.

_You gotta be kidding me? This thing expired a week ago, how did I not notice till now?_

Naruto slowly got back up and slowly paced around the house, if there was any benefit it was a lot bigger than his apartment in town. The house was located on the outskirts, within the city walls but very far away from the town. It was a compromise Naruto thought, his birth which resulted in the death of his mother created some gristly rumours.

These rumours caused an uncomfortable near isolation, especially from the mothers some of whom were actually present when Naruto was born. However, inevitably, things got worse when word hit the streets of Naruto's 'condition' as well as the animals reaction of Naruto. Whether they are insects, fish, mammals or birds, they all avoided him like the plague and if Naruto ever got to close, they would react; violently. The growing intolerance of Naruto soon span into a sense of fear. These combined with the growing distrust of Naruto required him to move for his own safety. The villagers actually wanted to banish him from the city but the Hokage stood firm.

Naruto must admit that although he really did not hold any love for the village or the people in it, few exceptions permitted, he could understand their point of view. The villagers said that his mother died horribly because of him. The Third who was almost like a surrogate father told Naruto that was not true, and although it was nice to be accepted by one, the rest of the village seemed to belittle him.

Naruto found it extremely difficult to live an ordinary life in a village where the people were shinobi. It was hard to live in a village and watch people jump 20 meters into the air and move so fast that the normal untrained eye could not track them; it was hard being weak in village populated by the strong. It was difficult for Naruto to hold back the tears when he thought about it.

_**Not long now, Naruto.**_ Naruto turned around in shock and glanced around his house, but could not find the source of the voice; it was old and scratchy almost like it was spoken by something rotting.

_Great, now I am imagining things._ Naruto would have been more concerned but he noticed the time on the wall.

"Damn! I'm late! Oh Mimiki is going to kill me." Naruto was out the door with his bright orange t-shirt, blue shorts and brown shoes. Naruto was always fond of his bright orange t-shirt, it contained a symbol of a whirlpool on it. It was given to him by the Third, hopefully to remind Naruto that he is just like everyone else and not some freak of nature.

The problem with living so far out of the village was that it was a pain in the ass to get to it, it was a 30 minute walk, longer if he had to carry groceries or something like that. _It would have been easy as pie to get to back and forth if I was a ninja_. Naruto shook the thought out of his mind, he had to focus on getting to the hospital for his yearly check-up; he had been postponing it for months and Mimiki his doctor was growing impatient. Mimiki was the assistant who was there at his birth, and although did maintain a professional distance, she was always there if Naruto needed someone to talk to; almost like a surrogate sister.

As Naruto reached the city he could see the famers and their family doing their daily chores; tending to crops, gardening and so forth. Naruto tried to get a job at these farms but there was few people who were willing to hire him, they did not trust him or thought he might curse the crops. However at the Third's insistence, Naruto managed to get work cutting wood and delivering weekly produce. It was tedious but hey, it felt like a job if nothing else. As Naruto entered the city he had a sneaking suspicion that people are on the lookout for him; it seemed that everyone knew where he was and where he was going. The streets were busy but everyone gave him a wide birth, especially the mother's; probably afraid a similar fate as Kushima awaits them if they get to close. Naruto was unfazed, he would normally be pissed being treated like a plague but would rather get the hospital in short order.

"Hey, Naruto what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be out chopping wood?" Naruto glanced around whilst running and saw the source, a kid around Naruto's age, with red fang marks around his cheeks and a small little white dog sitting on top of his head. The dog seemed to cringe when he smelt Naruto.

_Kiba...if I had shinobi abilities I would bury him_. Naruto could not forget the last time he got into a fight with him, the scratch and bite marks took two solid months to heal. Naruto was no match for Kiba or any other kid his age, even the younger kids could kick his ass and that was infuriating.

Kiba was part of the Inuzuka clan, a family that uses Ninja Dogs. Each member is partnered up with one or more dogs and they fight together. Naruto thought Ninja Dogs were just family pets; how wrong was he. All animals were uncomfortable around Naruto ,but Ninja Dogs were the most intolerant; they were nervous, alert and jumpy and Naruto got to close they would start to snarl, grin their teeth in a menacing manner and even attack. Nonetheless he did not earn any points with the Inuzuka Clan, nor with the Aburame Clan.

Kiba along with the rest of the kids who were ninja were not all that accommodating of Naruto; he was just too slow, and having no techniques made him a poor training partner. It does not help that their parents were adamant about their children not to socialise with Naruto, although the reason was never really shared.

Before Naruto knew it he was at the hospital, he walked up past the reception and up to the second floor of the hospital. He saw the relevant door and slowly knocked on it twice.

"Come in!" Naruto heard from the other side; it did not sound amused. _Oh boy, here we go_. Naruto walked in to stare at Mimiki. She stood there arms crossed, her eyebrows furrowed.

"You're late...by 20 minutes."

"Yeah, sorry I-" Naruto stood there sheepishly.

"Whatever are we going to do with you." Mimiki sighed "Sit down and take your shirt off." Naruto sat on the bench and complied. Mimiki then went to work and did the check up; she reached for her stethoscope. It is unusual to have so frequent a check up, however Naurto's unique' condition' made it difficult to tell if he was unhealthy as his body does not react to chakra scans.

Naruto grew into a child and was healthy despite his unusual circumstances; he had no ability as a ninja; whether it be ninjutsu, genjutsu or taijutsu. That means actually no ability; he did not have the speed, the strength nor the hand eye coordination skills naturally blessed upon a potential ninja. For all intensive purposes he was an ordinary kid. In fact he did not have any chakra; literally. When he was given a check up by the doctors they found zero chakra flow in his system, this worried the doctors so much they asked a member of the Hyuga clan to have a look with his Byakugan; this proved their conclusion. Chakra is traditionally blue in nature, although there have been different colours, Naruto on the other hand there was nothing, the Hyuga could not see any chakra flow; he could not even see the Chakra pathway system much less the tenketsu. As far as could be seen, Nauto was just an empty, dark shell, and for that reason the animals are very unaccommodating around Naruto.

Even though it was forbidden by the Third, it became known to the villagers that Naruto had a complete absence of chakra in his system, which is impossible as all living things; ordinary people, animals and even plants have chakra. The only things that do not have chakra are things that are dead. Yet here was child who had a pulse, a heartbeat, who could walk, talk, laugh and cry and alive in every single way defying this concept.

In order to combat this, Mimiki resorted to rather older and cruder methods; drawing blood, measuring heart rate, weight, height and so on. It was also done to understand his condition, maybe even find a cure however; Mimiki was no closer to finding out Naruto's problem than when she first met him in the maternity ward.

"Heart rate is good...so is height and weight. Now we need blood." Naruto winced when he heard this, he just hated needles. The frown did not go unnoticed by Mimiki.

"Quit your frowning and suck it up." She gave firm tone, yet Naruto felt comfortable because of it. She wrapped a strap tightly around Naruto's arm, once she found the vein he gently slid the needle it. It stung but Naruto just thought about his fantasy of being able to be a ninja, strong enough to become Hokage even, like the Third.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaand...done." Naruto felt the strap loosen, the needle withdraw and a cotton bud touch his arm. He instinctively grabbed it and pressed. Naruto turned to see Mimiki putting a drop of blood and sliding it under a microscope.

Mimiki was a good two feet taller than Naruto and even though Naruto has seen her outside of the hospital she never takes off her doctor's coat. She had brown hair and blue eyes, she was pretty. _Very_ pretty. Naruto blushed to himself and quickly put on his shirt. Mimiki stood up and turned with a relieved smile on her face.

"You're in perfect health, red and white blood cell count is good. You're all always in good health come to think of it." Mimiki was right too, as far as Naruto and Mimiki can remember, Naruto has never been sick, not even a cold or a stomach cramp.

"Yeah, too bad you can't actually find out what is wrong." Naruto said although he immediately regretted saying.

"Hey," Mimiki said, not in anger but in a hurt tone, "I am trying you know, look it is unusual but there have been rare cases for children of ninja to have insufficient chakra for performing techniques. It is nothing to be ashamed of."

"This is not 'insufficient chakra,' this is 'absolutely no chakra'. Big difference." Naruto said.

"Stop pouting." Mimiki said, "look we will find a way, but even if we don't you can't let your...condition affect your life." Mimiki was right and Naruto knew it and these talks always gave Naruto a moral boost. Mimiki walked up to Naruto and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Look just because you can't do what everyone else can does not mean you are not special nor relevant, you have done dramatically well for yourself. You are not going to end up as some bum on the street with not a single yen to his name."

"Yeah," Naruto his cheerful face appeared once again, "it is not the end of the world."

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Hey guys, Badsy here.

The next few chapter may be slow, but I am just trying to get the universe down pact. I assure it will not be to long until The Darkness comes into play. Please review as always.


	4. Chapter 3: The Last Day

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, The Darkness nor their respective characters. Both stories lie with their respective copyright holders.

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Chapter 3: The Last Day of the Empty Vessel **_

_**11 years, 11 months, 3 weeks and 6 days (1 Day before October 10**__**th**__**)**_

Naruto woke up earlier than usual, it was still night out; he couldn't get to sleep nor could he dream. It has been happening more frequently since it came in the past 2 months; just a black spot in his mind; an ever shapeless void. The dawn was just approaching and due to the location Naruto slept in his house it had a blinding effect.

_I have to change where I sleep_. Naruto really just wanted to go back to sleep but no such luck, the sun was up and his employers will harp on more than usual, just get it done. Naruto quickly got dressed into his work clothes, a greenish shirt, blue work pants a pair of black boots and mostly importantly; a pair of gloves.

Naruto looked in the mirror and saw himself, nearly 12 years old and this is his future, although Naruto could be depressed and was certain that things would not work out, but his conversation with Mimiki kept him inspired, what else can he do?

He left the house and with a quiet stroll set off to work at Konoha's logging outlet shop. For a few years now, at the Third's request he has gotten employment with the logging firm, not that Naruto needed the money, he was given an allowance that allowed him to survive for a very long time. It was a method to try and integrate Naruto into society. Truthfully, Naruto would rather not do such labour and just pull pranks and eat ramen, but the Third asked it as a favour and how the hell can Naruto refuse after all that has been done for him?

As Naruto entered the logging shop, a bitter old man; Naruto's employer stared with irritation.

"You're early." It was not a question.

"Yeah, I-"

"What are you planning?" Naruto rolled his eyes, this was not an odd conversation, his employer; he could not even bother to know what his name is, was a paranoid old git, always thinking something was up, and blamed Naruto. "Planning to burn down the shop, huh?"

"Yeah, whatever old man, just let me chop the wood." Naruto huffed, the old man smirked and waved him off. Naruto went out back and did not stop chopping wood till midday. Although Naruto did deplore such menial manual labour, he had come to appreciate it; it was exercise in the outdoors and it was a great way to reflect and think in peace akin to meditating.

Before he knew it, the 12 o'clock bell from the centre of town rang.

"Woah, noon already." Naruto glared into the horizon "That would explain why my arms hurt." His arms were pulsating, his muscles raw and itchy.

"Oi!" Naruto turned to the source; his old employer peering out the window like some cranky crow, "Naruto! Get your ass back in here! It's time for your deliveries! People have to sleep warm tonight." The old man's head withdrew back into the house so he did not see a thrilled Naruto; deliveries were the best part of the day for him.

He ran inside and out front to see as usual a rather large cart with stacks of wood wrapped in dull grey string; each stack containing a name and an address. His employer would normally do the deliveries but he isn't as spry as he used to be so he begrudgingly gave the task to Naruto. Without a word nor prompting Naruto lifted the arms of the cart and trudged into town, the old man huffed and trudged back into the lodge with a small smirk on his face, although his employer would never admit it, even on his death bed, Naruto was if nothing else, a very...dedicated worker.

Noon was one of calmer times in the village; students were at school parents were out working and the shinobi were out doing their missions or whatever they did. Naruto was trudging a rather oversized cart which admittedly looked rather comical as it was about 3 times the size of the child using it. Due to the way the cart was designed Naruto had to use little effort in order to move it.

_No time to lose, if I am late the old man will get shitty at me_. He grabbed a list from the top of the pile and saw the name and address. _That is on the other side of town. Screw that, I'll do it later._ He put it back in the pile and pulled the next address, it was closer. As Naruto directed the bulky cart to the address which was a few blocks away.

He reached the front of the house he dropped the cart and stretched his arms, and although he could not see anyone he had a distinct feeling he was being watched. _Great, just what I need._ Naruto grabbed the stack of wood and walked quickly to the door and rapped on it. There was no answer. Naruto knocked again, slowly and loudly this time. The house might as well have been derelict, now Naruto was annoyed.

"Log delivery! Come on I know you're there! Come and collect!" It there was no one there to pick it up Naruto could not deliver, he was not allowed to leave it lying around and he would cop nothing but flak from his employer and inevitably from the Third Hokage which is not what he needed.

"Just leave it and go away!" Naruto tuned to the voice, it was behind the door; someone was home alright. The voice belonged to a female, relatively young; teenager most likely. Naruto sighed to himself, it going to be one of those deliveries. Most of the time, someone would actually come out to collect but every now and then, more often than Naruto would like, he was told to leave it out front which was okay, except for the fact he was treated like some kind of contagious parasite. Naruto would be more inclined to actually give it to someone but he had no time. Naruto in an uncharismatic fashion dumped the wood on the porch, a loud clunk was heard. Without another word Naruto returned to his cart and moved on, the wood was not collected until he was well beyond a hundred yards from the house.

As Naruto guessed it was not an isolated incident, everyone was very rude and paranoid. Most of the time he was told to leave it and go away, although every now and then someone came out and snatched the wood out of his hand like some vulture protecting their food; these deliveries were collected by very big males and were obviously ninja judging by their chunnin vests. One of them even called him a 'freak of nature.'

"And the Hokage wonders why I don't like the villagers." Naruto grumbled under his breath, he seemed gloomy but that went away almost immediately when he saw his last delivery; a regular and these people were actually nice...well sort of.

The Akimichi Clan was jolly if nothing else and even gave Naruto food when he was tired, yet there was a distance kept between them. However, this was not the reason he was excited, the reason was because Naruto had to walk by the Ninja Academy, where all the students his age were training. About now it would be lunch time so he would be able to see the students play. A rejuvenated Naruto rushed with the cart to the Academy as fast as his legs could carry them.

In a matter of minutes he was outside the front gate of the Academy, he could see all of them talking and laughing. He could see Nara Shikimaru, droopy eyed and walking next to Akimichi Chouji who has actually picked up his deliveries himself. Naruto could see a small group of girls gathered closely around one person, although he could not seem him he could guess who it was, Uchiha Saskue, for some reason beyond Naruto's comprehension all the girls were attracted to him even the older ones. In the hurdle he could see Yamanaka Ino and then there was Haruno Sakura. Naruto smiled when he saw the pink haired girl; for a while now he has a crush on her and was actually tempted to ask her out. He glanced up at the sun and realised that it was well past one o'clock. _Alright Naruto_, he thought, _enough daydreaming and get back to work. Tomorrow you will ask her out_.

* * *

Kiba was hiding in one of the trees relatively close the gate, Akamaru started to really freak out and climbed into his jacket. There were only a few circumstances when Akamaru was scared as he was; either there was someone really powerful nearby or Kiba's mother was very angry at him. As neither could be felt it could only be one other person; Naruto. Sure enough a few minutes later Naruto appeared behind a corner and peered inside curiously.

"Well Akamaru," Kiba said in an attempt to reassure Akamaru, "now we know why Shino walked inside a few minutes ago." The only people that reacted as badly if not worse to Naruto was the Aburame clan; they seem compelled to leave or go around him almost on a subconscious level. Naruto smiled for a brief moment when he saw the small group of people gathered around Saskue, he then quickly shook his head and picked up the cart filled with only one stack of wood left.

"Such a smarmy chump, thinks he can go around daydreaming." Kiba said in a rather annoyed tone, "Don't worry Akamaru we'll show him." Akamaru pined almost like a yelp, still shivering under his coat. _He's terrified, what the hell is Naruto?_ Kiba took out a small kunai from his back pouch, took steady aim and threw it will all his might.

* * *

Naruto was walking casually when he heard a loud 'thunk' from the cart, then very slowly the cart started to tilt.

"No, no, NO!" The cart fell over, the arms pushing Naruto aside, a loud crash and the stack of wood got loose and the logs scattered all over the place. Everyone on the playground stopped and stared and the source of the noise. Most of them just laughed at what occurred although others such as Saskue just stared blankly. Some of the students started to whisper although they might as well have been speaking aloud.

"Naruto? What is he doing here?"

"I don't know, I heard he is always causing trouble."

Naruto could not be bothered with that, he looked at the wheel under the barrow, the wheel was scratched and jammed with something, Naruto reached with his hand and pulled it out. Naruto's eyes grew wide; it was a kunai. _Someone threw a kunai at the wheel_? Naruto thought in disgust and turned into the courtyard searching for the culprit. No one owned up or showed indication, but then he saw a very familiar person jump down from the tree; _Kiba, I should have guessed, why am I not surprised_. Kiba had a relatively big grin on his face.

"You asshole, Kiba! My boss is going to kill me!" Naruto said at the top of his lungs. Kiba shrugged his smile remaining.

"Hey Naruto, I thought I would celebrate, the exam was on today and I passed with flying colours." Naruto started at him in rage but with a sense of curiosity. _Exams were today? God dammit, this is just what I need; Kiba being a genin, as if he was bad enough when he was just a student_.

"I'll take my kunai back thanks." Naruto tuned back in to see Kiba holding his hand out indicating to the kunai. Naruto wanted to hurt him, with such relish to cut his throat and to grind his annoying mutt into the dust. Apparently the dog could sense Naruto's thoughts as a small object was wriggling under Kiba's coat. Kiba noticed this and got into a ready stance; his body crouched low, his teeth bare and sharp. Naruto gripped the kunai tightly, this has got to stop. The whole playground stopped and focused on what was about to happen; even Saskue stopped to look and Shino looked out from one of the school's windows.

"Stop you two!" Everyone directed their attention to a tall Jounin teacher heading towards them. Naruto did not know him personally but knew he was a teacher at the Academy; Something- Iruka.

"Naruto give me the kunai." Naruto did not have the chance to respond, the kunai was quickly take from him before he even noticed.

"Thanks, Iruka-senei." Kiba said with a smile.

"Don't thank me yet Kiba, I saw what you did." A huge frown printed across Iruka's face. "I expect you to apologise to Naruto."

"What?" Kiba had a perturbed look on his face. "Why should I apologise to him?"

Iruka's eyes had a rather angry expression which made Naruto glad that he was not Kiba.

"Because I SAID so!" Kiba was taken aback by the tone his sensei's voice and determined it would be better to just apologise.

"I'm...sorry." Kiba mumbled under his breath, although it was obvious he was anything but. Kiba then strolled away without a care in the world. Iruka made a look of embarrassment like Kiba's behaviour was his fault.

"Sorry, Naruto," Iruka said, he felt really uncomfortable with what he was about to say, Naruto guessed this is the bad news, "I know you come around here almost every day, and every day you are picked on. I know this is difficult but..." the look in his eyes indicated sadness, "maybe you should not come around here anymore, you know what Kiba is like."

Naruto was shocked "Hold on, you are saying because Kiba started it, it is MY fault?"

"No Naruto," Iruka gave a firm look, "I am just saying that every time you come over you always get in trouble. I can't help you forever."

"But-"

"No 'buts' Naruto," Iruka looked at him with a sad look in his eye, "every time you come here you provoke someone," Naurto was about to speak in protest, "I KNOW it is not your fault, believe me but for some reason the animal clans have not taken a shine to you, though I can't understand why."

Iruka patted Naruto on the head, Naruto smiled if not a little. Iruka continued.

"I know you really want to be a ninja, the look in your eyes say it all. I don't want to be the one to tell you this but bottom line; some people are not meant to be ninja."

Naruto's eyes widened yet he maintained enough control to hold back the tears. Iruka's hand still on Naruto's head.

"You do not have the ability to defend yourself and coming here is just going to cause you more grief and-" Iruka is not a bad guy by nature, Naruto knew this deep down but what was being said was a little too much to take. Iruka noticed Naruto starting to lose his composure and thought it was inappropriate for that to happen in front of all the students, though in a way it might be helpful to show the children that Naruto is indeed human. Iruka bent down so he was at even height with the cringing boy.

"How about this? We'll go out tomorrow night, I'll treat you to some ramen. We'll talk then." Naruto smiled a little, the tears almost beyond his control.

"I... like... ramen" Naruto said between sniffles. Iruka smiled and removed his hand from the child's head.

"Now you better head on out. You final customer might be getting anxious." Naruto regained his composure and picked up the scattered wood around him and placed it in the cart, the rope was damaged and could not repaired so it would have to be handed as it was.

"See you later, Iruka." Iruka smiled in response and waved, after staying there for a minute he turned around and headed back into the Academy. _Poor kid_, Iruka thought, _it's not fair how he's treated no matter what he is_.

Naruto was on his way to his last delivery he felt rejuvenated, it was nice to be treated to ramen, it was even more so to be treated by decently as a human being. He reached the final delivery spot, the Akimichi clan, the houses were huge and the symbol of their clan (the kanji symbol for food no less) was on every door of the clan houses. He knocked on the door, and almost instantly a rather heavy set woman stepped out; she had a smile from ear to ear.

"Hello my dear."

"Hey, sorry I am late, there was a small accident and I tripped. The string snapped." Naruto held out the individual small logs in his hands and gesturing to the remains in his cart.

"That's okay, that string is a pain to untie anyway." She smiled sweetly and Naruto was put at ease, she quickly gathered the wood in one go, which surprised Naruto. _The Akimichi clan is strong_, Naruto thought, _would not want to piss one of them off._

"Honey, you look thin." Naruto returned from his thoughts and gazed at the heavy set woman in front of them. She had a look of concern on her face, she looked along Naruto's shoulders and body, she seemed to disapprove of Naruto's eating habits.

"You aren't eating enough. You look like a twig. Come in I will cook you something." She strolled inside, the tone in her voice did not indicate Naruto had a choice in the matter. Naruto blushed, as he looked at his clothes._ I know I am thin ,_he thought,_ but a twig, come on_. Still it would be rude to refuse an invitation and the Akimichi clan was well known for making excellent ramen if nothing else. As he stepped inside and took his work boots off, he could not help but be amazed with the interior; the whole house was practically one large kitchen, putting most other restaurants to shame. There were pots on the stoves boiling some sort of soup, there was pieces of chicken along being cooked over an open fire and there were huge containers that obviously contained rice.

"I am just cooking some dinner for Choza and my son Chouji." Naruto wondered in amazement.

_This is dinner? _Naruto thought. Naruto met her husband and son once, classic Akimichi, heavy, jolly and strong as all hell. They seem to have similar personality quirks, namely turning into violent bastards the moment someone drops a word even remotely close to 'fatty'.

Naruto watched as the female head of the clan scooped some food into a huge bowl and placed it onto the main table.

"Come on. The food is good." She gestured, Naruto walked to the table and saw the bowls contents; ramen with everything.

"Thank you so much!" Naruto said, and immediately went for a set of chopsticks. It easily one of the best ramen he has ever tasted, definitely in the top ten and there was so much. By the time Naruto finished he could almost feel his stomach trying to crawl out of his chest. _What a great meal_.

"Thank you very much but I have to get back otherwise the old man will get sore." Naruto waved goodbye.

"Welcome! Don't forget to eat more food, it's not healthy." As Naruto got back to the cart, he realised that he would have to take his pace as the food weighed him down. He chuckled to himself and realised he was probably in the mood for a scolding. _Oh well despite the shit, it ended on a semi-decent note_.

It took a while to get back, and he saw the old man on the porch smoking a rather large pipe, his beady little eyes glared at Naruto.

"Late as usual." He grumbled.

"Actually I-"

"I don't want to hear it, you're always late. Follow me." He put out his pipe and strolled back into the office. Naruto held his breath and followed his employer from hell. _So much for the day ending on a semi-decent note_. As he entered, he saw a small object head towards him at incredible speed, Naruto sidestepped at the last minute. The object passed him and landed behind him with a metallic smack, he focused on what it was; it was Naurto's pouch, his daily pay.

"Don't bother coming in tomorrow." Naruto turned in shock. The old man stood there in the room, his eyes glaring behind the smoke from his pipe.

"What I am fired?"

"Not yet, just no work tomorrow."

"Why?" Naruto stared in disgust. "This is bullshit."

"Watch you language boy." The old man glared, his tone picking up, "Everyone gets to have their birthday off." Naruto stopped himself from saying a whole bunch of curses that would make a monk pale in horror. He stared at the old man in a mixture of curiosity and suspicion.

"How did you know? Why now?"

"I am your employer dipshit, I know alot about you. Besides you always sulk for about a week when you have to work on your birthday. I figured this would be a good way to get you back to work without bitching."Naruto eyes gleamed and could not resist having a big smile on his face.

"Thanks old man."

"Go away. Happy birthday." The old man sounded very bored and annoyed, best not provoke him any longer, Naruto picked up his pay and bolstered out the door jumping over the steps on the porch.

"This day may not end that badly after all." Naruto said with a grim smile.

* * *

Author's Note: This chapter is longer than I anticipated, I hope that won't phase you. The next chapter will is almost ready. Please comment and review. Thanks.


	5. Chapter 4: The Gift Awakens

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor The Darkness, these titles lie with their respective copyright holders.

_**

* * *

Chapter 4: The Gift Awakens**_

_**

* * *

20 minutes before midnight October 10**__**th**_

Mizuki was walking through the streets with a hurried pace. He was relatively impatient to leave the city gates; they were going to be closed soon. He wore standard chunin attire with a rather bulky object on his back though one could only guess what it was as it was covered by a dark green tarp wrapped tightly around it.

The white haired shinobi was no longer happy at the village, truth be told he grew tired of the village, years ago. Frankly if he left they would not shed many tears for him and would be on the ANBU assassination list for his troubles. Mizuki frowned on that outcome, he gave 27 years of his life to the village and was not about to leave the village empty handed. Therein lies the reason for the object on his back; Konoha's Scroll of Seals created by the first Hokage.

_For a highly important and sacred object_, Mizuki thought, _it was relatively easy to get. It was not even guarded that well_. Mizuki smirked to himself, by the time the patrols have found the incapacitated guards he will have been long gone by then. Mizuki was aware that he was not out of the woods yet but could not help think of what he is going to do with the scroll_. _

_Learn the techniques? Absolutely, but after that, what then? Sell them? Possibly. Blackmail Konoha? Tempting. Make a country for myself and become a Kage? One step at a time._ Mizuki could already taste the thrill of it; the prospect of getting what is finally owed after so long after being cheated by everyone.

"Glory here I come." He whispered to himself, he could see the gates; 400 meters away and counting. _Soon I'll be fr-_

"Close the gates! Close the gates now!" Mizuki spun around, a group of shinobi was heading in his direction. Mizuki could not fathom how they found out so quickly, worry about that later, he had to fight his way out. Mizuki slowly readied his kunai under his sleeve. To his shock the ninja did not engage, but ran past him.

_**

* * *

17 minutes before midnight October 10**__**th**_

Naruto walked out of the bathroom in his pyjamas and wearing an orange floppy had with a childish drawing of a bear at its base. Naruto's mouth opened and gave a huge yawn and stretched his whole body; normally he would have gone to bed hours ago but his lack of obligations tomorrow left Naruto free to do whatever he want.

"I might sleep in late tomorrow, then go to pick up something for myself like a cake then I'll-" Naruto's train of thought was broken when he realised that he had no one to celebrate with. He did not know the Akimichi clan nor Iruka well enough to just forcibly enter their life, and the Third is so busy that he has very little time for anybody, much less Naruto.

"Aww, come on" Naruto mumbled, did his mind really have to remind him of this now? Naruto trudged over to his bed like a tortoise, his good mood vaporised. He trundled past his kitchen and living room towards bed, however the lights above him temporarily flickered out. Naruto looked up at the lights and saw the bulbs flickering, not just the one above him but the entire house, even the toilet and bathroom.

_**

* * *

16 minutes before midnight October 10**__**th**__**  
**_

"What the hell is going on?" he said aloud. The ninja did not even slow down.

"Someone has stolen the Scroll of Seals! We are in lockdown. Come on Mizuki we need to find the thief." The ninja sped to the gates and told the guards to lock up immediately. Mizuki could see his exit point close up drastically but he could not panic; they have not discovered him yet though it will be a matter of time.

_Got to find another exit._ He jumped up to a nearby house and looked around for another exit. One by one the gates slowly shut. _Crap, where do I go? Where do I go?_ Mizuki knew that he could not go through the walls that was just suicide, and he cannot just quietly leave it nearby to be found otherwise it will be locked up forever, besides there was still no guarantee he would not be suspected and Mizuki knew he would not last 3 minutes before Ibiki.

_There is always an exit_, Mizuki thought, _just got to find, _Mizuki's eyes focused on a small hill at the edge of the village near the walls,_ –THERE!_ It was not very well maintained or guarded and it was only inhabited by the freak of nature Naruto. _The perfect exit_, Mizuki thought,_ and some people will not go anywhere near that place_.

"I am going to check with the Hokage! You guys take the northern gates." Mizuki ordered the small group of ninja.

"Yes sir!" They said in unison and vanished into thin air. Mizuki smiled to himself and bolted over the rooftops to the abandoned hill. By the time they know it was Mizuki, he will be gone, and Naruto should offer no resistance though it would be better not to leave any potential witnesses, better to just kill him.

_What do you know?_ Mizuki mused, _it seems I will be doing one last service to the people of Konoha_. Mizuki could not help but chuckle.

_**

* * *

5 minutes before midnight October 10**__**th**_

"What the hell is going on?" Naruto gasped, the metallic clicking of the lights going on and off at various speeds was all that filled the grisly silence. For some strange reason as well, although he could not explain it, the room temperature suddenly dropped, he gazed at his thermometer mounted on the wall; there was no change, yet Naruto felt cold; his limbs were numb and a chill ran up his spine. Then as quickly as it started, it stopped, the lights immediately stopped flickering, and the room temperature returned to normal. Naruto slowly walked towards his bedroom his eyes still fixed to the ceiling; he has never got a power fluctuation before nor have there been any power outages. That is nothing to say about the sudden freezing temperatures.

"What the he- OW!" Naruto's train of thought was derailed when his head made contact with the door frame of his bedroom.

"Shit that hurts!" Naruto angrily slammed the door frame with his fist, it was an object and could not feel any pain yet it still made Naruto feel a little better. Naruto clutched his head, the pain was already subsiding. Naruto slowly trudged towards the bed and sat on it, the mattress sagged under his weight.

_Guess I might as well replace the mattress tomorrow while I'm at it. _Naruto sighed and looked at the clock next to his bed, methodically ticking to midnight. Naruto really did not want to look at the clock anymore; he no longer felt the thrill of turning 12. He was stuck the way he was.

_**

* * *

1 minute from midnight October 10**__**th**_

Mizuki landed on one of the main branches of a tree one hundred yards from Naruto's house. Despite his dislike for the village, Mizuki could understand the creepy vibe from the house. The house was moderately big, it was not very well built, it looked more like a shack but still it did its job. The entire area was peaceful and serene, the absence of human influence however it had an aura of absence of life itself.

_This freak has been nothing but a nuisance_. Mizuki could see Naruto through a window. He was in his bedroom, looking quietly at a clock.

Mizuki reflected back to when he first encountered Naruto, a small child with messy blonde hair and an obviously dislike for people in general. He was a freak; useless and weak, yet the Third demanded that _thing_ be treated like a civilized human.

_How the hell people put up with you Naruto, I will never know?_ Mizuki mused to himself, he landed quietly at the base of the tree and pulled out a rather large shuriken from his small arsenal hidden under the coat, right beneath the Scroll of Seals. He froze when something crawled up his spine; his instincts went haywire, he turned to look into the forest and village; something was coming.

"Something's' not right." Mizuki murmured. Then he heard it.

_**

* * *

30 seconds from Midnight October 10**__**th**_

"Why do I get the feeling this is fate?" Naruto mumbled to himself, not really half expecting an answer. It was relatively quiet in the house, nothing stirred except the mechanical clock and its rather loud ticking.

_Is it loud because it has always been loud_, though Naruto, _or is everything just so quiet?_ But then Naruto felt something which broke his train of thought, like a cool breeze in his lungs and crawling up to his head like a snake up a branch.

_This isn't good_, Naruto prayed it was just feeling, something that would pass in time, _am I apprehensive? _

_**

* * *

5 seconds from midnight October 10**__**th**_

Mizuki paled, he could feel the presence of shinobi, at least 10, two of them are high level jounin, the rest chunin, one of them was paired with a dog. They were heading to his direction.

_They must be the elite trackers from the Inzuka clan,_ Mizuki thought.

"Shit, they are on to me already." Mizuki was starting to panic. He had to bail now while he had the chance, they would reach him in a matter of minutes. Mizuki gazed at Naruto sitting quietly on his bed

"Going to have to kill you another time, Naruto." Mizuki whispered.

_**

* * *

4 seconds before midnight October 10**__**th**_

_I have never felt like this before_. Naruto was occasionally depressed sure, but never to the extent that he started to hallucinate. _Maybe I should have another talk with Mimiki again._ Naruto continued to feel colder, like he was being soaked in an ice bath. Yet he knew it was just in his head, there was not fog from his breath and the thermometer in the kitchen had no change.

"What is going on?" Naruto said, his voice no longer filled with annoyance but fear.

_**

* * *

3 seconds before midnight October 10**__**th**_

Mizuki jumped back up to the branch he left like a frog, he looked at the wall, it was almost deserted something out of an old ghost town.

_What a breach of security_, Mizuki mused to himself. _The Third is going to have an aneurysm when he finds out this is where I escape._

Before he set off on what he thought would have been a life or freedom and power, something caught his eye; well the peripheral vision of his eye. Something dark was moving...toward Naruto's house.

_**

* * *

2 seconds before midnight October 10**__**th**_

The cold descended into freezing.

"Am I sick?" Naruto whispered to himself, his legs were shivering. A voice from the silence answered his question, its tone was slippery like something akin to a snake and malicious to boot.

"_**Hardly, Naruto"**_

_**

* * *

1 second before midnight October 10**__**th**_

Mizuki stared in a mixture of confusion and awe he gazed at the shadows of the trees in the middle of the night drawing towards the house, almost like the shadows were drawn to it in like water in a whirlpool.

"What the hell is going on?"

_**

* * *

Midnight October 10**__**th**_

Naruto heard the voice again echoing loudly like it was coming for a cave, a voice that sounded so old and rotten it sounded like it came from the Shinigami itself. It had a coyness in its tone like something a cat would say while taunting a mouse.

"_**Happy Birthday Naruto, welcome to the rest of your life."**_

* * *

Author's Note: Hey guys, sorry about the delay, the previous chapters were created to cater to this moment. After this, things may happen rather quickly, it may be that I might change the writing style a little. Please let me know if there are any issues with the story.

As always please review and comment.


	6. Chapter 5: Hello Darkness

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or The Darkness, both lie with their respective copyright owners. I wish I owned them though.

_**Hello-**_ The Darkness talking (in Naruto's Mind)

"_**Hello"**_ The Darkling's talking

"Hello" -Normal Dialogue

_Hello_- thought

_**

* * *

Chapter 5: Goodbye Weakness, Hello Darkness**_

The lights around the house all went out, as if the fuses shorted at the same time. A crackle of electricity, which sounded sickeningly like broken bone echoed around the house.

"Oh shi-!" Naruto lungs stopped breathing, he reached for his throat but was stopped by black tendrils that grew from the very ground itself. They wrapped firmly around his wrist, so tight were they severed the blood flow to his hands. The tendrils themselves were hard and sharp, felt less like soft flesh and more like coral or some form of shell fish.

_**Happy Birthday, Naruto.**_ The voice was gentle yet at the same time malicious, it sounded like it was trying to calm Naruto yet at the same time trying to rip something out; like a hunter soothing the worries of a dying prey.

Naruto felt something grow in the very pit of his stomach, like ragged weeds that shot upward into his throat. Naruto tried to scream, wanted to get help but was unable to, he felt paralyzed. He tried to get up but was resisted by the tendrils still wrapped around his wrist.

Naruto tried to run outside hoping to buy himself some time to find an explanation; he just fell to the floor in an undignified heap.

_Oh god! Somebody HELP ME!_ Naruto tried to say the words, scream the words with all he could muster; all that came out was a black slime oozing out of his mouth almost like it was alive. The slime tasted foul, like rotting meat or spoiled eggs.

_**Stop whining, **_the voice in his head sounded genuinely annoyed, as if he was expecting a warmer welcome, _**it is embarrassing.**_

The pain was incredible, he felt a burning sensation so strong it was as if his very flesh and blood were on fire, the lungs themselves felt like they were melting away into nothing. Naruto's bones were freezing, his legs and arms still shivering. Naruto reflexively struggled against the pain but to no avail, he could feel the growing vine in his throat spread not out of his mouth but further down into his stomach.

_I'm dying! I can't breathe! Help me please!_

_**How rude, Naruto**_, the grave voice rattled around in Naruto's head giving Naruto a mild headache, _**you are a lucky boy Naruto**_. The coyness in its voice was so potent you could taste it.

Naruto cried, he just wanted the pain to end, he did not want to die alone in his house but it was better that living as he currently was. Foggy tears clouded his vision, and dropped to the ground, but they were not normal tears, they were black and viscous, like black paint.

_**You have been given a gift,**_ Naruto's head was pounding, the pain growing worse and although he thought it could not get any worse; he was pretty sure he lost control over his bowels,_** the ultimate gift in fact.**_

As Naruto's vision was slowly starting to fade he could see the slime and tears slowly flow into the air of his darkened house and swarm like a vortex around him, a pool of blackening liquid suspended in the air as if my magic. The vortex swirled ever so quickly expanding the entire size of the room, as Naruto gazed in wonder and horror, the center of the vortex collapsed in on itself creating ...for lack of any comprehension... a portal to a silent dark abyss. Naruto stopped struggling and stared as if mesmerized, tears still flowing down his face. The abyss was ever still, and so quiet it was as if it sucked all the sound in the world down the dark well.

A pair of eyes winked out of the darkness, emerald green and full of malicious intent. Potent enough to make an already pained Naruto very nauseated, spewing forth more black slime from his mouth. The green eyes slowly got bigger as whomever or whatever the owner was got closer. The dimly lit moonlight being the only source of illumination revealed a small 3 foot tall gremlin.

It has skin the colour of black ash. Its ears were bat-like and its head was shaped like a beach volleyball. Its body was skeletal and its arms and legs were long and stick like, its tongue was like a contorted worm and its teeth were like butcher knives. Its mouth widened into a sickening smile, but it look more as if it was wincing in agony.

"_**A gift that keeps on giving!"**_ Its voice was small and light-hearted as if he was trying to talk whilst laughing, it took a rather showy bow as if it was before royalty. The gremlin's eyes softened and stared with a sense of curiosity and amusement.

"_**Uhhhhh...boss...you don't look so good." **_It skipped up and crouched in front of Naruto tapping him on the forehead, his bony appendage was like chisel to his skull. Naurto released from his trance by the pain, returned to his struggling, but his strength had left him.

_I don't want to die here, can't breathe,_ he could feel his heart bearing a mile a minute, the oxygen in his lungs slowly burning away,_ must get out somehow._

"_**You want to get outside;"**_ the gremlin's smile returned, bigger than before, "_**please... let us indulge you." **_With that the gremlin snapped his skeletal fingers and a thousand eyes behind him in the portal opened in unison. Naruto had no chance to react before he was swarmed by the shadows.

* * *

Mizuki stared at the house in fixture of amazement; the lights went out and then he heard a screaming from something that could not be human. It was like a humongous groan of pain from hundreds of people to form one voice.

Mizuki could see the whole interior of the house swarming with black liquid moving at incredible speeds as if the house contained a powerful storm. He also noticed that the shadows were growing and being drawn around the house like black smoke.

"What the fuck is this?" Mizuki had completely forgotten about the pursing ninjas, and was at the stage that he thought regretted going anywhere near this accursed hill.

The window to Naruto's bedroom was shattered open and the whole section of the house exploded from sheer brute force. The walls, which were made of solid wood split and cracked and burst forth in every direction like a kunai trap, scattering off dust and dirt into the sky. Mizuki maintained enough composure to duck behind the tree he stood on; he could feel the impact of high velocity wood hitting the tree vibrating down his spine.

"If that was me I would be dead by now." Mizuki took in a deep breath and peered around the tree.

The roof itself was lifted by three gigantic tendrils easily 10 metres in length and with a great howl like a storm, hurled the broken house into the air in the direction of the village. A roar thundered throughout the hills.

Mizuki watched with a sense of caution and fear as the tentacles withered up high and slowly began to seep back into the smoking remains. He could hear the writhing and slithering of something big, like a snake coiling itself to attack.

"What's coming?" Mizuki readied his large shuriken in his left hand and a standard kunai in his right. Beneath the smoke he could see the outline of a bulbous shape almost like a gigantic rock, it began to contort and Mizuki could swear he heard the sound of breathing. With a rather comical 'ptooie!' launched something into the air and land with a dull 'thump' onto a patch of grass. Mizuki focused on the thing that landed; it was hard to identify as it was covered in black slime, he almost thought it was dead until it started to cough.

"What...the...hell?" said the blob. Mizuki widened his eyes as the slime stared to remove itself and reveal the thing inside.

"Naruto?"

* * *

"Ugh.." Naruto groaned his face was a darker shade of red. He could see the dimly lit night sky.

"_**Well wasn't that a slice of awesome! HAHAHA**_!" The little green eyed gremlin loomed over his shoulder, his seizure like grin spread so far across his face is went around the side and the back of his head.

"Ugh..." Naruto felt his lungs tighten, his head spinning.

"_**Oh blow it out your ass you sissy, you can breathe now."**_ The gremlin delivered a rather audible slap to the back, causing Naruto to exhale with force, black slime was spraying out of his mouth. Naruto could hold on and took in breath.

"I can breathe...holy crap I'm alive." Naruto cried out in joy. "Yes, yes, yes!" Naruto immediately sat up and began to stretch. However, he felt something squishy underneath him, he looked at his pyjamas and groaned.

"I actually crapped my pants. Dammit." Naruto was more embarrassed than angry, it was his favourite pair of pyjamas. "This is never going to wash out! Look at this!" Naruto with his index and forefinger lifter up parts of this clothes and looked at the black goo covering him from head to toe.

"_**This new guy...not to bright is he?"**_

"_**Nope"**_ Naruto looked up and saw a whole legion of demonic gremlins, in all shapes in sizes, some were bigger than a man others were the size of hamsters, some looked human others looked like nothing in existence. Most of their eyes were yellow or gold or even blue, there was only one in the very middle of the group with green.

"GGAAAAAAAAARRRRHHHHH!" Naruto cried, he tried to make a run for it but he felt a clawed hand grab his shoulder and smack him hard to the ground.

"_**Listen boss..."**_ The green eyed gremlin was doing his absolute best to cater to the new master but still he was annoying. _**"If we wanted to kill you, we would have done it already and then used your organs as either food or contraceptives."**_

One of the little gremlins a smaller one with blue eyes separated from the group, only it did not walk away so much a slithered, its upper body was similar to the rest but its lower body was that of a snake which stretched back two meters.

"_**Listen boss, we-"**_

"Why do you keep calling me 'boss'?" Naruto was freaked out and a gigantic demonic-snake-gremlin does not help ones mood in this case. The gremlins looked at each other, frowns along their hideous faces, the snake gremlin scratched his head.

"_**Because...you...ummm...are the boss."**_The gremlins delved into their own conversations ignoring a rather confused Naruto. Their incessant chattering evolved into one conversation.

"_**This blows... whatever happened to our original owner?... Why do I get the feeling that this guy is the butt monkey of the village... I vote for a strike ...could someone please eviscerate whoever said that...awww again you guys suck...YAY!...I like penguins...hey is there a titty bar around here?...the boss is twelve douche bag...oh, how about we kill a hobo?...did you just stab me with a spoon?...hey pull my finger...I need a drink...the night is lovely..."**_

The voices slowly built up over intensity creating an unpleasant buzzing sound, like an angry bee hive. Naruto could not help it.

"Enough!" The gremlins stopped talking and stared at Naruto, their facial expression was (or what Naruto thought was) a mixture of amusement and curiosity. Naruto got up from the ground his clothes in tatters "Look you little gremlin bastards, I am going inside and then I-"

"_**HEY! We are not gremlins alright!"**_ The green eyed gremlin took charge again, it quickly scurried onto the top of a very annoyed creature the size of Naruto, _**"We are called Darklings. With a capital 'D'."**_

All the now-Darklings cheered in agreement, one quickly constructed a sign out of nearby wood, that said 'Gremlins Suck' in badly scrawled yellow writing.

"Dark-Darklings?" Naruto said in confusion.

"_**Yes,"**_ the green eyed Darkling said with a snap of his fingers, _**"and I am Frutz."**_ Frutz took another bow similar to when he first crawled out of the portal. _**"We are here,"**_ Frutz gestured to the Darklings around them, all of them put on their best smile for their new master, _**"to serve you." **_A long index finger pointed squarely at Naruto's chest.

"How did you get here?" Naruto was still terrified yet at the same time curious. The Darklings chuckled amongst themselves.

"_**You BROUGHT us here, Naruto."**_

"Me?" Naruto mumbled. The blue-eyed Darkling with the snake like body wrapped itself around a tree behind the other demonic creatures spoke up.

"_**No, the guy behind you who is also called Naruto"**_ Naruto may be in shock but he was no stranger to sarcasm. Before Naruto could say anything Frutz interjected.

"_**Hey shut up Golbrick!"**_ The blue eyed Darkling called Golbrick huffed in protest. Frutz turned, his super wide grin plastered across his face. _**"Yes you did bring us out and sorry for the mess we made, normally the hosts of The Darkness have a messy time adapting to their new gift."**_

"The Darkness?" Naruto's gaze shitfted from Golbrick back to Frutz, "What the hell is The Darkness?" A few of the Darklings chuckled to themselves, Frutz included. The Darklings started to gather around Naruto, in fact he could almost swear there were more of them, but they were moving and slithering amongst themselves in such a fashion it was hard to track them individually.

"_**We could spend months pondering that,"**_ Frutz mused, **"**_**it is that voice in your head that we know you can here, it is the source of your power...and our existence. We are part of it just as much a part of it as you are."**_

Naruto heard the words and they registered with his mind, but this still didn't make sense, something was missing, his gut was sure of it.

"What does that make me?"

"A monster! I KNEW it!" Naruto spun quickly around to see a tall man with white hair, he was young and very familiar.

"M-Mizuki." Naruto remembered the man who despised him the most, Mizuki ticked all the boxes and gave the impression of a very good teacher, but the look that Mizuki gave him when he went to the store for groceries or when he stopped at the Academy said it all.

Naruto's gaze could not help but look towards the rather large shuriken in his hand, which was gripped so firmly Mizuki's knuckles turned white.

"_**Don't worry about him Naruto,"**_ Frutz replied, his smile grew to a grin, razor sharp teeth gleamed in the moonlight,_** "you don't have to worry about anything anymore, you got us for that. HAHAHAHA!"**_

The Darklings were starting to shift around Naruto and his partially demolished house. If Naruto had any doubts about there being more Darklings, those were completely obliterated; there were easily more than 100, a lot more than the small handful of Darklings he first encountered.

_Where the hell are they coming from?_ Naruto thought,_ I can't see a portal_. Although the notable increase in amount of Darklings was apparent to Naruto, Mizuki seemed totally unaware, that or he was just being ignorant.

"I was going to leave this village, but now that you have seen me you have to die here!"

"_**You know you could have just slipped away when you had the chance you retard!"**_ One of the Darklings cried, it looked like a gigantic crab the size of a rather large child. The Darklings started to laugh and mutter amongst themselves

_Obviously_, Naruto thought shaking his head with worry, _this was some sort of big joke to them._

"_**What the hell is wrong with this guy?...Inferiority complex for the win!...Look at his forehead protector...where is this place?...This is Konoha...Konoha? That place sucks!...Bunch of hippies...Hippies are people too!...I want my mommy...I want to eat your mommy!...Bow-chicka-bow-wow...ooh ee ooh ah ah...ting tang...walla walla...bing bang."**_

Naruto was about to tell them to shut up but Mizuki beat him to the punch.

"You demons! Silence! You shall go back to hell when your master dies."

"Wait," Naruto jumped, "what?" Mizuki hurled his shuriken with a cry of triumph. It was so fast, he could not even see until it was within a centimetre of his face.

_Oh god!_

* * *

Yet the blow did not come, the shuriken just hung there suspended dead in its tracks.

"W-What?" Naruto gibbered. A centimetre away from death would shake anybody up, especially if they were having a day like Naruto's. Naruto stared at the immobile shuriken trying to unearth its secret, his eyes gazed to the very tip of the shuriken and saw what halted the flying chunk of metal. A small clawed hand held the tip of the shuriken between its thumb and forefinger; the hands owner was the green-eyed Frutz.

"_**I told you, Naruto," **_Frutz removed the shuriken away from Naruto's face and looked at it as if inspecting its creation; he was not impressed, in fact he looked and sounded rather bored, _**"you have nothing to worry about anymore."**_ He took a tip of the shuriken and with careful administration, used it a toothpick for his teeth.

"What the hell?" Mizuki just stood at the branch of the tree in horror. Frutz seemed to snap out of his trance and gazed at the shocked chunin with a sort mild neglect.

"_**Want to Frutz?"**_ Golbrick said his tail twitching with anticipation. Frutz shrugged.

"_**Meh, you guys go ahead."**_ Frutz returned to picking his teeth. The Darklings all cheered and rushed towards the rather screwed traitorous chunin. One of the Darklings yelled with a sense of nostalgia.

"_**It has been a long time since I had Konoha ninja for dinner."**_

* * *

Mizuki tried to throw the kunai in his left hand but he never had the chance to throw it. He never had the chance to react, or to scream or to dream. Never got the chance to learn the techniques in the Scrolls of Seals, never got a chance to become a well recognised ninja, which he genuinely could have been. He never got the chance to achieve his ambitions.

Mizuki did get the chance to know how he was going to end; between the jaws of countless mouths with teeth so sharp you could shave with them and tongues as long as his arm. He got the chance to feel them upon his throat and every square inch on his body, the chance to feel a rather large cut across his abdomen and feel his lower intestines pulled out from the bleeding wound. Mizuki got the chance to feel teeth gnaw on his skull; like being stabbed by multiple ice picks and he most certainly got to feel the stomach wrenching (metaphorically of course as his stomach was ripped out too along with one of his kidneys) feeling of regret...then...nothing...but after that...

* * *

Author's Note: Well that is the latest chapter and I must say; I thoroughly enjoyed writing this one. I always thought Mizuki was a dick, and the manga was too soft on him. I got a whole theme park of chapters ready to be written. Review as always please!

On another not: The next chapter is going to be a pain in the ass to write so I will be a while I think. I also need some ideas as to who Naruto should be partnered with. Send a PM or something.


	7. Chapter 6: What to do? Part 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or The Darkness, they lie with their respective copyright holders. Seriously do I have to write this on every single chapter? Come on!

"Hello" -Talking Normal

_Hello_-Thought normal

_**

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Chapter 6: What to do? Part 1**_

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October 10**__**th**__** - 2:16 am- Konoha Hospital Morgue**_

Requests for classified meetings are rare and interesting. Such meetings called by Inuzuka Tsume and several other high ranking ninja would perk anyone's interest, and considering that the members who called the meetings are professional veterans they know that calling such a meeting can only be requested at the most critical of times. The locations of the meeting usually take place in a room with so many anti-infiltration jutsu's that not even a fly can enter without someone knowing about it. This one took place in the morgue, which was just downright creepy and got even a rather cranky Hokage interested in the contents of the meeting.

The morgue was well lit and vast; the sombre thought of so many dead shinobi lying in morgue vaults was not lost to anyone. In fact some of the Jounin actually take their students here in the attempt to force them to come to terms with reality; that acting sloppy will lead to ones doom. It is a sad truth but truth nonetheless.

The meeting consisted of the Third himself and his two advisors and former comrades Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu,Inuzuka Tsume, Shiranui Genma, and the rather quiet Umino Iruka. They were all quietly crowded around a morgue table looking at the contents that lay on it.

"Is this all that remained?" The Third Hokage had seen it all, but looking at a severed hand, a bloody pancreas, a set of kunai and one overly large shuriken just made no sense.

"Yes." Tsume said, her voice sombre, her face slightly pale. _Even the most veteran of the jounin were shaken._ The Third was hesitant, this was obviously something bad. "We located Mizuki and pursued him...and when we got there, it looked like something right out of a warzone."

"Sandiame-sama," Genma said, his senbon needle no longer in his mouth, "I have been in the field for over a decade and I have never seen anything like that in my entire life. Those things..." He trailed off as if in a distant memory.

The Third nodded, the preliminary reports from the ANBU were vague at best; but statements like "a powerful ninjutsu was required to decimate the surrounding the area," as well as "the remains of Mizuki were minimal, engagement determined to have been a matter of seconds," tend to stick out. The Third has been around for a while and he knew that when ANBU use the word 'engagement' that did not mean 'conflict' or 'fight' but rather 'one sided no holds barred massacre', and if the Third had been correct in what he heard, this had all been done by Uzumaki Naruto.

Mizuki may have been a traitor but he was still a chunin, perhaps even low to mid level jounin judging from his preliminary reports. One cannot just swat him like a fly without breaking a sweat unless you were a high level jounin or a Kage level ninja.

"And you are positive that Naruto did this?" The Third likes to keep an open mind, he has nothing against the boy, truth be told he actually considered adopting him; despite the deal that had been dealt to the boy, he always knew how to get by somehow. The Third had a hard time believing that the boy he knew for so long would much less could, pull something as big as taking down a chunin by himself.

"This is ridiculous. Why are we even focusing on this?" Everyone turned to the objector; it was Homura, The Third grunted at his advisors apathy, "what is important is the Scroll of Seals. Is it safe?" Genma nodded in compliance.

"The scroll is completely safe, it lay on the ground untouched and was returned back to the guards... I don't need to tell you it was a bit of a challenge to get it to safety." Genma lifted his arm to show the bloody injuries that had been inflicted, everyone seemed to stare at it like it was a strange creature at some exhibit; large gaping wounds were around the wrist and elbow, they looked suspiciously like bite marks.

_Something tried to bite his arm off_, The Third curious as ever, _what could have done that to a jounin?_ While the Third thought about it, he noticed that Iruka and Tsume were all injured as well, Genma seemed to get away the most unscathed.

Tsume's chunin vest was hanging quite literally by threads, most of it torn to pieces, her pants were tattered and stained with her own blood, her hair was messed up and there were three small parallel scratches along her face that could barely be seen due to the red clan markings along her face, inherent to the Inuzuka Clan. Although she maintained or tried to maintain a cavalier attitude, the fact she was shaking like a rookie on her first mission was indicative that she got away by a fluke, and she knew it.

Iruka took the biggest brunt of the injuries; his forehead protector was scratched to the point where the Konoha symbol was non-existent, the old scar across his face was recently reopened and a few more added as well, blood slowly dripping from the open wounds along his face. His uniform was practically torn away by talons; chunin vest and all, and there were shallow bite marks across his entire body.

"Remind me again why you three are not in the infirmary right now?" The Third mused.

"We'll be fine. This is important." Genma smiled and sighed, wrapping the wounds with remnants of his sleeve. The Third looked at the other two who both nodded in approval and the Third grudgingly allowed them to finish.

The Third stared at the hand of the obviously dead traitor, Mizuki. It was serene and pasty white, and looked relatively intact, minus bite marks. Although the Third Hokage should not feel any sense of remorse, one cannot help but think what kind of pain he went through before he died.

"So can anyone care to explain what the hell happened?" Tsume, Genma and Iruka looked at each other, deciding on what to say. Tsume slumped and tried her best to make her report loud and clear. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath.

"There were 10 of us..." she began.

* * *

Author's Note: Flashback time! Now I know not everyone is fond of it (me included) but I guarantee this is not going to happen like in the anime (unless you like flashbacks...kinda doubt it though).

I appreciate the positive reviews (both reviews and PM's) for what occurred in the last chapter, please keep it up!

Look alot of people have still been requesting Sakura and Hinata as the female teammate, which is perfect now that I think about it. Any more information on the second partner; I am getting a lot of Shikamaru and Chouji? Also just as importantly I am thinking of sticking with Kakashi, any ideas?


	8. Chapter 7: The Cavalry is too late

Disclaimer: I do not own either Naruto or the Darkness, they rely with their respective copyright holders.

"Hello."- Normal talking

_Hello- Normal Thought_

_**"Hello"- Darklings Talking**_

_**Hello- The Darkness talking (in Naruto's mind).**_

_**

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Chapter 7: The Cavalry is too late...as usual  
**_

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October 10th -12:15 am-500 meters from the Uzumaki Residence and closing**_

It was still in the night, while 10 people and one dog slipped through the trees heading quickly towards the abandoned hill. Zigzagging along the branches they were tracking the scent of the Scroll of Seals and the thief that took it.

"I told you we would find it," Inuzuka Tsume, the clan's head said, her pride on full blast, "this is that happens when you enlist the Inuzuka clan."

"Of course." Her long time fighting companion Kuromaro said, the black wolf kept with her pace easily, his nose sticking out like a compass.

"This thief is a smart man, taking the Scroll through the least guarded area in the village." Behind them there was the jaded jounin, Shiranui Genma, with a toothpick hanging from his mouth.

"This must be a mistake, Mizuki would never do this!" Umino Iruka was pleading to his comarades for some understanding. A fellow Academy teacher, the heavy set, Mibu Shinobu concurred.

"We have known him for a long time," he said in a disappointed tone, "it can't be him."

"Then there will be no problem when we find him." Hagane Kotetsu and his partner Kamizuki Izumo, trailed the groups flank weary of any traps there might be.

"We can't tolerate any kind of insubordination much less this," Yajirobee was the hothead of the group, "catch him now; ask question later." Yajirobee wore his trademark helmet and glasses which made him look more like a turtle than a ninja; though no one would tell him that.

"Mizuki was considered a risk in Konoha Intelligence," The bandaged Tobitake Tonbo said his piece in the dullest tone imaginable; more like an accountant quoting numbers than a man on a mission, "otherwise he would have been promoted a long while ago."

He and his partner Hijiri Shimon from the Konoha Intelligence and Interrogation Unit, trailed loosely behind the group. Initially they were searching down the southern gates but once they heard the thief was an insider they were immediately assigned by their superiors to a member of the Inuzuka clan and stop him.

"But..." Iruka trailed off; deep down no matter how much he denied it, it made sense._ Mizuki...what are you-_

"Look out!" Yajirobee cried, and on instinct everyone scattered except Iruka who looked up...to see a gigantic object heading straight on top of him. The darkness and speed made it difficult to see what it was. Iruka leapt to the side and the object crashed in and broke into countless pieces, the sound was loud and sudden and faded away as quickly as it came. After the dust settled, the pursing ninjas slowly crawled out of their hiding places; from the trees, under the ground and in the bushes; they all carefully looked at the remnants of...whatever it was.

"Is that a.." Shinobu could not help but feel shaken "...a roof?" It took a while for the rest of the squad to comprehend what was being said. It was indeed the roof, the way the tiles were laid and the flat structure indicated it could not be anything else, the edges were torn and jagged as if it was ripped from the seams. Needless to say they were all surprised, not because something landed on them; that was an occupational hazard, but that something so...random landed on them. Ninja's could handle boulders, stones, tidal waves and bombs...but a roof; that was a first.

"The only house near here is that freak Naruto's. It's the only explanation." Yarijobee muttered. Iruka flinched when he heard the snide comment. He was inclined to give Yarigjobee a rather harsh lesson in manners however he decided that was best held for another time.

"Yes, that explains everything." Kotetsu's sarcastic conclusion combined with an obvious rolling of the eyes was enough to send Yarijobee over the deep end.

"Why you little-"

"Enough!" Everyone turned to the maker of the outburst; Tsume. Her eyes flared with irritation and commanded a sense of fear and retribution. At that moment everyone realised why her husband left her; being around someone that scary was very bad for your health. Iruka could swear he heard the sound of half the men gulping nervously.

"Now," Tsume was explain things like a mother would to a child, "we are going to follow this by the book. Yarijobee, Kotetsu and Izumo will head east. Tombo, Shinobu and Shimon will head west to make sure Mizuki is not setting up an escape exit. Iruka, Genma and myself will continue moving to the target. Got it?"

Everyone nodded in stunned silence, no one was willing to argue with a pissed of Inuzuka clan member; especially a female Inuzuka Clan member.

"Now go!" No one needed to be told twice, everyone bolted the only remnants were leaves of the surrounding trees.

_**

* * *

**__** October 10th- 12:17am- 300 meters from the Uzumaki Residence and closing**_

Tsume looked at her two teammates with a rather overdone frown on her face; an overly casual jounin who carries a freaking senbon needle in his mouth like a tooth pick and idealistic rather methodical chunin from the Ninja Academy. _Good times_, she mused.

"Let's go." The three shinobi and the ninja hound silently dashed towards Naruto's house on the top of the heavily forested hill.

_**

* * *

October 10th- 12:19am- 200 meters from the Uzumaki Residence and closing**_

As they got closer they started to hear sounds, Tsume quickly stopped and crouched cautiously on a tree branch, his teammates soon followed.

"What's going on?" Iruka enquired.

"You can't hear them?" Tsume said "Something is making noises up there." Iruka looked towards the mound in anticipation.

"Naruto could be in trouble!" Iruka pleaded, "We have to get up there now!"

"Oh no, you don't. It does not sound like screaming. It sounds like..." Tsume titled her head quizzically to try and hear better, but Genma obviously had better ears.

"Laughing and lots of it... Mizuki must have reinforcements!" Tsume came to the same conclusion, they had to hurry or the Scroll of Seals was lost. They bolted forward, yet something felt wrong to Tsume. _Something's_ _not right_, Tsume pondered, _is it this situation? I am missing something?_ At that moment it dawned on her.

"Kuromaro!" She stopped dead in her tracks and looked desperately for her old ally. She found him where they just left; he just stood there on the branch shaking feverishly, he could not even look up.

"Kuromaro! What are you doing?" Tsume ran back towards the black wolf with sense of motherly concern "What's wrong?" The dog was still shaking, his voice ragged as if he was starting to lose his ability to speak.

"You can't...sense it...Tsume?" The wolf stammered helplessly. "I can't go...it's too dangerous." Tsume stared in shock; _Kuromaro, afraid of danger? Impossible!_ The black wolf continued solemnly.

"Where you go, I cannot...I will not... follow." It occurred to Tsume that the only thing that could cause such fear in such an experienced wolf could only be two words; Uzumaki Fuckin'Naruto.

"Are you freaked because of the creepy kid?" Tsume laughed nervously and patted Kuromaro roughly on the head, "Come on Kuromaro, you have walked up to that kid and remained unaffected heck you threatened to bite his arm off! You-"

The musty smell of dog urine made her halt the rest of her pep talk. Tsume felt the racing heart of a terrified ninja hound under her hands.  
"Kuromaro-" The wolf lost all sense of control; all that years of training and discipline and growing went out the window.

"I'm sorry Tsume! I must turn back!" Without another word, Kuromaro bent its legs and jumped backwards, span in midair and ran faster that Tsume had ever seen...back to the village.

"Kuromaro..." She whispered with worry, she just wanted to run after him.

"Tsume." The familiar voice of Genma brought her back to her senses. "We have to go! Like right now!" Tsume shook her head and sighed, Genma was right of course, the mission came first. She got herself up and before gazing at the distant shadow of the long gone Kuromaro.

"Let's move on...double time!" The rushed forward, not a word was said to each other.

_**

* * *

October 10th- 12:24am-30 meters from the Uzumaki Residence and closing**_

As they quickly surged forward, all three group members were as apprehensive as ever but and could not help but silently wonder; w_hat lied ahead that would make Kuromaro; a well established ninja hound, run off like a scared puppy?_ They started to see the edge of the forest creating a clearing at the top of the mound. Tsume signalled them to stop with her hands. They immediately crouched together behind a tree, their voiced barely a whisper.

"Now here is what we are going to do; we are going to take a quick peek, if Mizuki is there we arrest him immediately, kill him if necessary. However, there could be more that just Mizuki, we need to be prepared;"Tsume pointed at Iruka, "I know you specialise in explovise tags so use everything you got as a distraction, make sure to encompass them not make them scatter. If you sense even the most minute amount of trouble, run back for reinforcements, don't be a hero. Understand?" Iruka nodded in compliance, his hand already searching for the tags in his pack.

Tsume quickly moved her finger to Genma, "You use one of your senbon and fire jutsu...make sure it causes as much damage as possible but I want specific, precise damage, not reducing the hill to ash." Genma smirked as his only response. Tsume continued "I on the other hand will take out any stragglers. Are we good?"

"What if it is just Naruto?" Iruka enquired. Tsume did not even blink.

"We detain him and have someone question him. However, if they are congregating it would be wise to assume that he could be dead."

"But-" Iruka protested, he was getting fed up with the apathy at the prospect of Naruto being killed.

"No 'but's, it's now or never, one life pales in comparison to losing the Scroll of Seals! Got it?"

"Yes." Iruka conceded.

"But of course." Genma was nonplussed.

"Let's move."

_**

* * *

October 10th- 12:27am- Uzumaki Residence **_

"What the hell happened here?" Genma said incredulously. The place was absolutely totalled; like someone quite literally detonated a bomb; upturned trees everywhere, the house was practically demolished and the ground itself was upturned and torn to pieces. "This is serious overkill. This can't be Mizuki."

"Could this have scared off Kuromaro?" Iruka enquired, trying to keep his tone as respectful as possible; it was common knowledge that you could insult an Inuzuka clan member but their dogs were well off limits.

"No. Something else was here, perhaps still is." Tsume reached into her pack and pulled out several kunai dangling around her fingertips. She felt her feet step on something, it was not earth or wood; it was softer, she glanced down to look at it. "Oh God." Both teammates looked at her with worry.

"What is it? Genma asked, his senbon needles at the ready. She saw Tsume bend down to pick up something.

"Tsume, what is –oh shit." Genma looked at the thing being held roughly by Tsume's fingertips; a human hand severed at the wrist, blood was slowly dripping from the limb. Its fingertips were stripped to the bone as if bitten into. Tsume wasted no time.

"Iruka, report back to headquarters now. Something is-"

"_**Well, well, well, look at this."**_ A voice echoed around the camp, the ninjas on instinct got together and formed a triangular stance ready for anything. Something about the voice was chilling; made Iruka's hands shake a little, Genma gripped the senbon needle that much tighter in between his teeth, Tsume just bared her teeth and growled. Their eyes danced everywhere until they saw a pair of glowing eyes within the shattered forest right next to the house, it was at about waist height...they were bright yellow. The three ninja's turned to face it, ready for the worst. Too bad they did not have such a vivid imagination.

"_**BOYS! Konoha was nice enough to send us DESSERT! GET THEM!"**_

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Author Note: Well everyone, there you have it, chapter 7 is done. Now as some of you know the Naruto manga arcs have not even started yet, but those are already done just need to get past this introduction arc which are like 2-3 chapters away from completion. It is almost finished.

Special thanks to Seimika and VulpineSnow for brainstorming.

Review as always. Take care!


	9. Chapter 8: What to do? Part 2

Disclaimer: I do not own NAruto nor the Darkness. Both lie with their respective copyright holders. Seriously this getting ridiculous..do I really have to say this every friggin chapter?

_**

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Chapter 8: What to do?**_

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_**October 10th-2:20am-Konoha Hospital Morgue  
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Silence rang throughout the morgue and even though the room was cold, as Tsume told their tale, it almost seemed to get cooler.

"How did you get away?" Homura asked, he obviously was drawn to the recount, "By the sounds of it and by the looks of you," he gestured at the 3 heavily scarred ninja's before him, "you were at death's door."

"They backed off...at the bequest of Naruto." Iruka jumped in, he looked more sombre than the rest; quieter, as if in shock.

"After we assured Naruto that we were not going to hurt him, they...vanished into thin air." Genma looked very tired, much older than he was, as if the years of his life were sucked out of him. Genma still had a hard time picturing it; those walking nightmares surrounding...circling...protecting a small blonde haired boy covered in black...ooze, made him look like something from the darkest depths of creation. It brought a shiver to Genma's spine.

"They?" The Third enquired. Everyone in the morgue was hooked onto the story that was told, "I thought you told me this was Naruto."

"Whatever it was, it was working with Naruto," Tsume's voice grew louder with each passing word, he breathing quickened; hyperventilation "they were...they killed Mizuki...they..they nearly killed us...they tried to..."

"Tsume! Calm down." The Third's soothing tone was enough to bring down the mightiest of Kage candidates, forget jounin. Tsume fell silent and took in a deep breath that resonated around the room.

"Now what do we do with this-" a man clad in white walked through the doorway, his eyes were wide and his skin pale and it was obvious he had something to say. _Great, _the Third thought, _what now?_

"I just ran through some tests with Naruto." The medic said, his eyes were still as wide as dinner plates, obviously whatever Tsume, Genma and Iruka saw the poor medic saw as well. The occupants waited in silence yet the medic just stood there, staring off into space.

"...May I?" The Third did not have all night for dramatics no matter how much shock a person was in. The Medic jumped, blood was slowly returning towards his cheeks, he chuckled nervously and pulled out a set of documents from his pocket and handed them to the Third. The Third glanced through the numbers, his eyes darting all over the page.

"Basic things are normal; heart rate, pulse, lung capacity...ummm..." the Third's eyes focused on the final results and noticed the medic shifting uncomfortably, obviously the results were something than what was expected, "this can't be right..."

"What?" Koharu was anxious, but the Third just stood there looking at the results; bamboozled at what he was reading.

"May I?" She reached out and the Third as if waking up from a daydream handed it over. Koharu read it quickly her eyes darting all over the page like she was tracking a fly, Homaru reading over her shoulder. Her eyes steadied on the results and her eyes grew wide as saucer plates; she obviously did not believe it. Homura looked more unconvinced than shocked.

_A Kage and two advisors are looking at the results as if they were from another planet,_ Tsume wondered.

"What do the results say?" Tsume was anxious and the stunned silence of the two advisors and the Third quietly mulling it over was not helping. Koharu glared at Tsume's obviously disgusted with her presumption but nonetheless yielded the stapled documents to her. Tsume focused completely on what was in her hands so much so that she could barely hear what Homura was whispering to Koharu.

"That couldn't be right could it?"

Tsume read the results; as the Third said all the basic vitals looked normal, but as she scrolled down all the numbers and the data, it slowly started to get more and more out of sync with Naruto's original results from his last physical. Then she read the bottom 4 results; relating to strength, speed, stamina and intelligence. Tsume realised instantly what all the fuss was about, yet could not believe that everyone was freaked out over this and could not see it for what it is.

"Incompetence." Tsume huffed and shoved the results into the chest of the rather poor medic "Your tests are wrong, do it again." She was about ready to turn around but the medic remained where he was, he looked foolish; like child who has done something wrong.

"Well?" Tsume's eyes were steady, and the Third knew he would have to step in soon, the Inuzuka clan had a pretty short temper and had not time for pleasantries; a good quality to be sure but a lousy trait when dealing with a medic; he was only doing his job.

"Umm...hehe..." The medic struggled to respond, being the subject of Koharu's scorn was ill advised.

"Spit it out!" Tsume was getting to that stage where she was about to hit someone or something. The medic seemed to know that so he just spat it out in surrender.

"We did the test 5 times...it was no mistake." Never in the Third's lifetime has he ever heard the metaphorical pin drop, but if it was not now, it never will be. Iruka's eyes pricked up at what he heard.

"What does it day?" A voice answered the rather naive Iruka's question.

"Strength, speed, intelligence, stamina and intelligence are at record levels for a child his age: high tier genin, low tier chunin." Everyone turned to the source of the voice, it was old yet smooth. The source stood tall in the doorway of the morgue. It was heavily bandaged on its right side and held a cane on its left. His left eye was closed.

"Hello, Danzo." The Third tried to relax but to no avail, Danzo was a long time ally for over 50 years but still, the Founder of Root is not a good thing to have no matter what the issue; it means that it is either a very important asset or a critical threat to Konoha.

"What are you doing here?" Koharu glared at the famed 'Darkness of the Shinobi' with not contempt or fear but rather mild neglect, as if his presence was something that was anticipated.

Although his presence made everyone in the room pause, only the Third seemed to be aware that Danzo seemed to know what the results were before they were disclosed. The Third gave specific orders to the Department Head of the Hospital to bring those results immediately to him. _How the hell did Danzo find out before I did? Guess that rumour for having eyes and ears everywhere is true._

Danzo continued "Furthermore, it appears that Naruto, now has a chakra network...but it is not filled with chakra and-"

"What does that mean?" Iruka was the first to jump in, but everyone guessed it was not wise to interrupt Danzo. Danzo tilted his head slightly his revealed eye still closed.

"Exactly what I said. You want more information talk to the medic." Everyone seemed to take up that offer and stare. The medic felt like he was stuck between a very big rock and hard place. _Why me?_

"We did a thorough check up on him and as far as we can tell there is no source as to the cause of these sudden changes."

"Bullshit..." Tsume walked forward and grabbed the medic around the arms, "he nearly killed us, and you are going to tell me that there is no source of how he became so powerful." A chuckle was heard in response, Tsume looked at the person who dared laugh at her...it was Danzo.

"What is so funny, you old fart?" Danzo actually smiled in response, even the hot headed Tsume knew that was not a good sign, but she was not going to back down. Danzo stopped chuckling, but the smile remained.

"I heard that your dog... Kuromaro was it?... Ran away like a whipped puppy" Danzo knew how to push all the buttons and furthermore Tsume was becoming enraged with every statement "...and further more he fled from Naruto's very aura, rather than his presence. Maybe the Inuzuka are slipping in quality."

"You son of a bitch!" She cast the small medic aside and ran directly at Danzo, everyone in the room ready for what was about to come. Tsume was less that 3 meters away from Danzo when a pair of hands landed on her shoulders stopped her dead in her tracks; one from Homura, the other was the Third.

"That's enough, Danzo!" The Third yelled. Danzo's smile remained; impassive and amused. Tsume ceased struggling and slumped, she was slowly let go and she slowly walked back to her original position, her face filled with shame. "Now," the Third continued, "could this be some kind of experiment or hidden strength that was awakened under severe stress?"

"That's impossible, he has no talent or ability whatsoever now he develops a strange ability out of the blue and the strength to match?" Homura looked reluctant "This has to be some kind of bloodline limit kicking in."

The Third all of a sudden had an epiphany and glared at Danzo. _So that's it!_

* * *

"I should have guessed Danzo, it makes perfect sense now!" the Third shouted. Everyone in the room turned to the Third with a mixture of surprise. It was different from the usual behaviour of the Hokage; normally the Third is a very nice old man who like anyone can get angry or upset. The Third was neither; he was more like someone who just eagerly caught an opponent in a lie.

"That explains everything! A bloodline limit!" It almost looked like the Third had lost it.

"Ummmm..." Koharu looked disappointed, "that is what we just said."

"Not that!" The Third quipped, "The fact why Danzo brought Uzumaki Kushima here!" Everyone in room was shocked, even Danzo dropped his calm demeanour and opened his eye and stared at him, an incredulous look on his face.

"I have my own sources, Danzo." The Third mused, "What matters is now I know why you always had a small detachment watching Naruto, you were waiting for something like this to happen. I know that you insisted you keep Naruto when he was born, but when he displayed no abilities you disregarded him. You betrayed our allies to death over some bloodline limit! Uzushiogakure is destroyed Danzo, what happened?"Danzo was quiet as a mouse...he waited a full minute before he spoke.

"I had no influence over the destruction of Uzushiogakure. I will not lie that I had plans to...but I did not have the chance to carry them out." Danzo said. The Third was about to explode but something held him back.

Danzo's eyes did not shimmer; he always had a lousy poker face as his eyes gave him away when he lied. There was a reason why his eyes were always closed, but now that they were open and Danzo's were bare, the Third could see that he was telling the truth; Danzo was indeed not responsible for Uzushiogakure's destruction; Kohohagakure long time ally. _Still something seemed off..._

"But you know who did though and why?" The Third pressed. Danzo's sighed but continued to make eye contact.

"No," Danzo said, "the problem is not that there are no suspects, but rather there are too many for a variety of reasons." The Third knew Danzo long enough to know when he was being conned by him; twisting the truth. Danzo was not lying but he had no intention of helping.

"Why did you bring Kushima here...how did you know she was carrying a child like Naruto?" Everyone in the room focused on what Danzo was going to say, his eye slowly moved like a hawk scanning everyone before him, he gripped his cane a little tighter.

"The only thing I can and will say, is that what I do, what I have done...has always been and always will be in Kohoha's interests." Danzo closed his eyes and his shoulders slumped a little. The Third scowled a little under his Kage hat. "Now if you'll excuse me...I have to do a little housecleaning."

The Third grumbled, _so he is not content in having some spies of my own_.

"Danzo..." The Third said, his tone gruff and dangerous, Danzo noticed and stopped in his tracks, "I know that you were hoping to steal Naruto under my nose the moment he displayed something like what happened tonight, you did not anticipate that I would find out as well. Now that I know what you are up to, you are not to lay a hand on Naruto. He is not going to join 'Root' nor will he end up as one of your mindless drones. Understand?"

The Third's eyes bore through the back of Danzo;s head and the Third was certain that he could feel it. Danzo resumed his pace; slowly walked down the hallway, the quiet tapping of his cane echoed down the hall. Genma, Tsume and Iruka just blanched obviously suffering from a case of 'too much information', obviously it they stumbled upon something that was bigger than all of them... something that Danzo wants hidden.

"Don't worry," The Third piped up, "just keep this quiet and don't tell anyone, not your friends, lovers or family. Do that and you'll be fine." The three ninja's nodded. "You're dismissed, get some medical attention now, then get some sleep...or get a drink at the bar." The Third regarded them sympathetically "You look like you need it."

Iruka and Genma smiled, Tsume after a brief moment of silence just laughed.

_**

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**__**October 10th- 3:46am- Hokage Office  
**_

* * *

"So what are we going to do?" Koharu asked. The Third tossed his hat onto his desk and leaned back into his chair; it was not comfy but it helped him relax. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, _what a trying night._ He reopened his eyes to stare at his two advisors.

"What to do. What to do." The Third mumbled. Both Homura and Koharu stared back with blank eyes. "Say what you want to say, people you're going to say it anyway." The Third sighed. Koharu immediately started to hammer out the suggestions.

"We should study him some more. We have no idea what we are dealing with." The Third laughed,.

"I had a little chat with the head medic in charge of his tests" The advisors listened intently, "whatever attacked Tsume's team actually threatened to kill him and his family." The Third pulled out a piece of paper in his pocket and stared at the results, "I have been around for many years and in my entire life time I have never heard of a bloodline limit that can talk...have you?" The advisors looked at each other in total silence. "That's what I thought." The Third said.

"But you said that is what it was." Homura said, his eyes narrowing. The Third nodded.

"True, but that is not what I meant." The Third took at his favourite pipe and started to light it up "what I meant was, that is what Danzo thought he was getting...some kind of bloodline limit. He made a mistake."

What has been bugging the Third ever since this mess occurred was Danzo; he knew this would happen and he knew that Naruto was special or at least had potential..._but how and more importantly why?_ The Third also could not help but mull over what Danzo said about having plans to destroy Uzushiogakure, but did not have the chance to carry them out.

_Does that mean someone beat him to it? Why would Danzo plan to destroy our allies? Was he being his old paranoid self? Did he find out betrayal?_ The Third would have to do his own digging to find out.

"What are we going to do, Hiruzen?" Koharu shook the Third from his train of thought, Danzo can wait, Naruto was the issue.

"Well..." The Third has been considering a radical idea for a while ever since he heard about what happened to Mizuki, "he does have the requirement to be a ninja. What do you think the village's reaction will be to-"

"No." A single blunt opinion made up from two voices, Koharu and Homura. Koharu had eyes as big as saucers while Homura just scowled in annoyance; he obviously saw this coming. The Third rolled his eyes in annoyance, _why do they always disagree with me?_

"Okay then...what you have in mind?"

"Quarantine him immediately." Koharu shot back, "He is too dangerous and obviously cannot control it."

"I beg to differ." The Third countered.

"Say that to Mizuki!" Koharu smugly rubbed in that point.

"Say that to Tsume, Genma and Iruka." The Third silently cheered in triumph, Koharu was stumped on that one. "If Naruto could not control...whatever he has, they would have been torn to pieces along with Mizuki...and you know it." Homura stayed very silent, and that bothered the Third...significantly.

"Homura, you're quiet...that's not good." The Third stared at his advisor calmly through the smoke emitting from his pipe. "Lay it on me."

"...get rid of him." Homura's eyes were blank and his voice cold.

"Put him out further? Banish him?" The Third was surprised "...come on Homura, ignoring the problem won't solve-"

"I never meant it that way..." Homura glared, "...kill him."

The Third did not move an inch, his face was almost impassive save for the fact his eyes were as wide as dinner plates. The Third did not even have to say something as stupid as 'What?'

"He's too dangerous, normally I would agree with Koharu on this...but something is not right. Danzo is playing this too close to the chest for me to be comfortable with this." Homaru emphasised this point again. "Kill him...now."

The Third sat there in his chair thinking about how many curses and swear words he can rattle off in one minute. Truthfully, he was pretty sure that if he swore loud enough he could make the ears of his two advisors bleed. The Third sucked in the tobacco from his pipe for a full 30 seconds, allowing the tobacco to enter his lungs, his eyes did not waiver from his two advisors who just stood there as if what was said was perfectly reasonable. A huge ball of smoke escaped the Third's mouth as he exhaled.

"Like what happened with the Uchiha?" The Third was pretty sure that Homura actually winced when he said that. "Now..." The Third said slowly, the advisors paid close attention, "you listen...and you listen carefully. I have known you for several decades...you are my closest friends...so you can imagine how ashamed I am, to know you now." The advisors did not move, the Third continued. "Here is what we are going to do, we are going to treat Naruto with respect and decency as we would with any other human being; we are going to treat this as any other situation in which someone develops abilities." The Third's eyes narrowed and he could feel the two advisors starting to squirm under his gaze. "We will NOT secretly plot the demise of a young boy...and we are most certainly not going to view his existence as a crime...Is. That. Clear?"

Both advisors would have run if they could have. As they could not, they simply yielded to The Third's wishes; they did not answer, they simply bowed their heads in acknowledgement.

"Naruto is going to be put into the group of children that have just graduated. He will be assigned to one of the teams. He will be monitored by the Jounin in charge and report directly to us on his progress."

"Umm..." Koharu piped up, Homura did the smart thing and just shut up, "why don't we just put him in the Academy and let him work from there?

"You mean besides the reason 'because I said so'?" The Third lifted an eyebrow to the brashness of Koharu who quickly followed Homura's example and became as quiet as a church mouse, the Third slowly chewed on the end of his pipe. "Naruto needs to be with children his age, besides you saw the results, Naruto has the physical equivalent to a chunin...I am telling you, this WILL happen. For the sake of the Naruto's growth I am going to forget those rather...poor suggestions you made...Homura...Koharu...dismissed."

Both advisors bowed again and left, their rather quickened pace was not lost to the Third and he silently cheered.

"Oh by the way..." both advisors halted mid-step, "if something horrible were to happen to Naruto, I am going to come looking for both yourselves and Danzo. Got it?" The Third was pretty share that both of them were sweating right then and there. "You can go now." They did not need to be told twice.

_I've still got it,_ he mused. Well, he thought, now that the hard stuff is out of the way, the next thing to do is inform Naruto of the good news.

* * *

Author's Note: Well folks, there we go the latest chapter. Sorry for the delay exams are a killer and the next chapter is going to take a while to pan out. Next chapter Naruto is informed of his new life and whether or not he will be 'welcomed'...well you're going to have to read it to find out. Review as always! Suggestions are appreciated!


	10. Chapter 9: End of the Begining

Disclaimer: I don't own any of that stuff I have already said the past 8 times.

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Chapter 9: The End of the Beginning**_

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October 10th 4:01am Konoha Hospital**___

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Naruto sat on a bed with a new set of clothes; extra shirt and pants from the medical wardrobe, his old pyjamas stained and damaged beyond repair. His hair wet and his finger pruned from the exceptionally long shower, though considering how he looked and how he smelled no one blamed him.

It has been an exceptionally long time since he has seen anyone, several people tried to run tests on him; they were normal tests that Naruto had been going through since he was five years old. However, when one of the medics tried to take the blood sample it occurred to Naruto that he knows nothing about his abilities.

_**

* * *

2 hours ago**_

A medic in her early twenties was gentle and kind enough, though she was hesitant about Naruto, currently she was listening to Naruto's heartbeat.

_Obviously,_ Naruto thought, _word gets around. I wonder how many people in the village know what happened. Will I still be able to work at the wood mill?_

_**No need to worry about that anymore...Naruto.**_Naruto still had a hard time adjusting to his new 'gift', it tended to pop up without warning and say its piece. _**You are destined for greater things...FAR greater things.**_

"But this-" Naruto still was not used to communicating just with his mind. The medic opened her eyes and took off her stethoscope.

"Something wrong, Naruto?" A quizzical look on her face, Naruto, embarrassed scratched his head.

"No, no, no I'm just..." Naruto tried his best to genuinely smile, "...just a little tired." The medic took Naruto at his word and smiled.

"I understand, you have had a trying night," she seemed cheerful enough, which put Naruto at ease "don't worry about it, just the dreaded blood test and you're done."

_**What?**_ The Darkness did not sound the least bit pleased, he sounded more deadpan, monotone even. Naruto had to remember to think instead of speak.

_What's wrong?_ The Darkness was becoming adamant about the situation at hand._ It's just a blood test. A simple needle, which will sting but that's it._ The Darkness was not reassured.

_**Stop her Naruto... don't let her draw your blood!**_ Naruto started to feel The Darkness claw at the back of his mind, like a raven scratching on the walls.

_Look, it's okay, just calm down._ Naruto started to feel his heart race, thankfully, the female medic was no longer listening with the stethoscope. Naruto saw her on the bench at the back of the room, putting a needle together and trying to find an arm strap. Once found she smiled and walked towards Naruto, it seemed, almost in slow motion.

_**Stop her, Naruto! No blood tests! NO!**_The pain was getting worse, the Darkness was growing stronger...or desperate.

_What the hell is your problem?_ Naruto's head was starting to ache, not painfully, but it was throbbing, like he was working on a really hot day. _Do you want me to look crazy in front of a doctor? Stop it!_

_**Stop her, Naruto! **_Although the medic was unaware, Naruto could see the lights above her starting to flicker, one by one they were going out. The Darkness was trying to breaking free. _**Do it or I WILL!**_ Naruto felt the arm strap tighten around his left arm.

"Don't worry Naruto, it will be over quickly." The medic still had that sweet smile. Naruto had to stop it now but how?

"Umm..." Naruto muttered, the medic looked up, she pulled the needle with a blood vial attached to it.

"What is it, dear?"

"Could we...do this another time?" The medic cocked her head to her side, as if wondering what brought on that question. The needle still hovered around the arm.

"Umm...sorry Naruto but I was ordered to take a sample immediately. What is wrong with these lights? Must be a power surge." Naruto saw what she was talking about, the flickering lights were becoming more obvious, and the lights in the corners of the room had already gone out. The medic focused again. "Okay here we go."

"Wait, wait..." Naruto could feel the needle just touch the skin and The Darkness having enough sitting on the sidelines.

_**My turn. **_Beneath the flickering lights and the darkened corners, demonic eyes, blood red this time glowed within the silent darkness. Naruto felt something like cold steel, run down his spine and up his left arm. Whatever it was it revealed itself past Naruto's sleeve; a pulsing black wave grew quickly along its arms stopping the needle dead in its tracks. The wave contorted and solidified, turning into blackened armour, it was pulsating and moving, like that of a living creature but it had the texture of cool metal.

"Oh crap..." Naruto braced himself for the horror. The medic looked up, shocked was an understatement.

"Oh my god, what is that- ARGH!" A massive clawed hand reached from the ceiling and hurled her across the room and she landed unpleasantly on the bench. Although it was a nasty beating, the woman, despite being a medic, was also a ninja. She immediately dropped off the bench and landed in a crouching position, instantly aware of her surroundings, and the look on her face was nothing short of horror.

Picture this scene; a boy, a blonde haired, blue eyed, twelve year old, sitting on a hospital bed, dressed in white shirt and slacks, with almost necrotic looking skin along his left arm. The lights overheard flickering at such intensity that some of the light bulbs actually blew up with the sounds of crackling electricity, and in between the intermittent lights...things can be seen surrounding the small boy.

Twenty monsters, most of them human sized while only five were smaller, about the size of a child. The big ones looked sleek, almost like panthers, their face looks twisted, like someone took a razor and shaved the nose, eyebrows, jaw line and ears back to the barest possible minimum. The small ones, crouching on all four limbs smiled toothy smiles and had ears that looked like they came from a bat. All their eyes were glowing red.

_This is bad,_ the medic reached for something above her head, the emergency panic button, normally used in emergencies, _I would think this qualifies._ The monsters almost like they were telepathic moved so fast that by the time she realised she was trapped, they had already grappled her arms and legs and felt a vice like grip around her throat. One of the small monsters leered so close that she could smell its breath; it was enough to make her sick.

"_**No more tests okey dokey?"**_Its voice was foreign as if grinding some across gravel, yet squeaky like someone who was laughing too hard. "_**If you lay some much as a finger on the boss I would remove your eyes, slap a saddle on your husband and ride him all the way to the finish line...then I'll play Dance-Dance Revolution all over your nine year old son."**_

"NO! Not Shiro, not Jin!" The medic pleaded, _how the hell do they know my family?_ "Take me instead!"

"_**Well,"**_ one of the bigger monsters spoke, its far voice deeper almost like it came from an echo chamber, it talked coyly, _**"this was only a warning, but who are we to turn down a free meal?"**_ The other monsters seemed to agree.

"_**Doctor, doctor...give me the news...I got a bad case...of eating youuuuuuu...Hey, I did not get my cutlery...Where's the hot sauce...I want the leg! I want the leg!...Awwwww, fine!...I want the oysters...You mean the kidney?...Yeah...A hospital? You think I could get some morphine... I got a fever! I need more cowbell!...Meh, CHOW TIME!"**_

"STOP!" Naruto cried. The Darklings as if on command, froze and although Naruto could not see it, it was obvious to the medic that the Darklings were displeased. "Leave her alone!"

"_**But Boss, she-"**_

"NOW!" Naruto was furious yet at the same time terrified, _what the hell would the village do if they saw this?_

_**They would bow down to your greatness, that or die horribly. Either way, we win.**_ The Darkness was matter of fact about this, as if devouring a medic was natural. Naruto took a deep breath and kept a barely steady voice.

"Let her go..." The Darklings got the hint and backed away. One of the Darklings mumbled to itself.

"_**Killjoy. Why must you kill our fun?" **_The medic could feel the hands give a tight squeeze and relinquished their grasp on her. The sudden rush of air into her lungs made her cough.

"Leave," Naruto said quietly, "they won't hurt you." The medic did not need to be told twice and immediately bolted for the door handle.

"_**You lucky bitch."**_ She froze and did a half turn and her body shivered, one of the tall monsters leered right to her face, its mouth open and drool seeped out of his jowls, its long tongue in the open just dancing around her ear. Its voice was barely above a whisper. _**"You might have the Boss fooled, but we're on to you, and the moment the Boss loses his interest in your well being; you're gone, and your family too."**_ The medic shuddered, and tears were welling up in her eyes, the monster, retracted its tongue back into its mouth, and smiled a deformed smile; sharp teeth shining. The medic did not move a muscle._** "Yes...you can get the fuck out of our sight." **_The medic, like a racer at a triathlon opened the door and ran faster than she ever did in her entire life. Naruto stared on in shock. The Darklings all chuckled to themselves; like this was the most fun they had in years. One of the big Darklings looked at Naruto gave a thumbs up.

"_**Come on boys. Let's get out of here, our job here is done. The Boss needs his rest."**_ They slowly dissolved into the walls like ghosts like what they did at Naruto's house; the lights stopped their erratic flickering and returned to normal, minus the light bulbs that were blown. Naruto sat on the bench totally alone in the middle of a stunned silence. It happened so fast that it was still difficult to comprehend what happened.

"Was that really necessary?" Naruto said aloud; right now he did not care whether he came off as a crazy person.

_**Yes.**_ The Darkness was quiet ever since.

_**

* * *

October 10th- 4:02am Konoha Hospital**___

* * *

No one has shown up ever since that incident, it was obvious that the medic told everyone in the hospital if not the village. Naruto could see under the door that guards were posted out front his room and have not moved since. Naruto wanted to go home but he knew they would not allow it, not after what happened. Naruto tried to sleep but found it difficult, he could not let his imagination wander, he could not dream; he was just mulling over his situation.

_What am I going to do? More importantly what is the village going to do with me?...Will they banish me? Will they study me?_ Naruto shook his head, best not to hope for too much this could go badly._ I killed a chunin, I killed a ninja of Konoha...this is not going to end well._ Just thinking about what happened to Mizuki made Naruto nauseated. Naruto took in deep breaths; his eyes boring into the ceiling. A knock on the door broke his train of though.

The door opened and a small but very well built old man walked through the door, draped in a large robe; The Third Hokage. Naruto sat up straight and the Third waved him to calm down.

"I hope I didn't wake you."

"Nah, I haven't been sleeping that much." The Third nodded and smiled. He walked slowly over to Naruto's bed and indicated him just to move over.

"Scoot over Naruto...we have to talk a little." Naruto's heart sank, he was dreading this; but not so soon, and certainly not from the old man he had come to admire. The Third glanced at the door and then out the window next to the bed, his eyes finally rested on Naruto whose stare remained at the ground. "You know what's out there?" The Third seemed slightly anxious, Naruto just remained silent.

"There are 2 ANBU standing outside your door, you probably knew that. What you probably don't know is that there are 4 squads of ANBU hiding in the trees outside your room." Naruto turned around so quickly he could feel his neck crack, he stared out into the open blackness from his window; he could barely make out the trees much less the people on them. Naruto had no reason to doubt the old man.

_I can't see anything_. The Darkness rustled just a little but remained silent. The darkness outside the window started to fade away, as if the shadows were being ripped and pulled out of Naruto's vision, the background became lighter, the trees became clearer...and the ANBU hiding in the trees became visible.

The vision was slightly cloudy, but the shapes stood out very clearly; the outlines was sharpened to the point where a slight aura hung around each of the ANBU; there were 16 in total, each using a variety of methods to stay hidden, some had transformed themselves into part of the natural environment, others were hiding behind the trees, some _in _the trees...each and every one of them was staring straight at Naruto. An ANBU hiding behind one of the trees started to squirm, like he knew that Naruto could see them.

The Third focused on Naruto's eyes, initially they were darting all around in panic...but there was a flash of something, which made the Third blink, it's like he saw...golden pupils, but they quickly faded. Naruto's eyes narrowed... focused and moved quickly but steadily...16 times. _So,_ The Third thought, _he can see all of them...even the ones that are cleverly hidden; he has night vision and some sort of method of seeing past the Henge Jutsu...interesting._

"It's okay Naruto," Naruto turned to stare at the Third, "look I know this can be a bit scary," The Third smiled which put Naruto at ease though his eyes occasionally darted to the window, "but you frankly, got a lot of people worried."

"I didn't mean to kill Mizuki! Or hurt those jounin! I though they-!" Naruto started to panic again, he did not want to be punished because of a mistake. _How the hell am I going to get out this?_ The Darkness remained quiet but Naruto could feel it gearing up, swelling up inside Naruto's mind like a water balloon.

"Relax Naruto," The Third said, "you're not in trouble...you in fact helped Konoha." Naruto stared blankly. "You see Mizuki," Naruto flinched slightly, "was actually a traitor, you know that scroll he was carrying?" Naruto's eyes widened but nodded. "Well, that was something very important he stole from Konoha, he was going to leave with it...but you stopped him."

Naruto eyes were so wide they were comical, the Third nearly laughed. "Bottom line Naruto, Konoha owes you a great debt."

"I'm not in trouble?" Naruto sounded relieved, The Darkness obviously did not buy it; it remained ready. _**Bullshit, what about those idiots that came later?**_ That was a good point.

"What about the three that came after?" It then occurred to Naruto. "Iruka? Is he alright?"

"Calm down Naruto," The Third put his hand on Naruto's shoulder, "Iruka is fine, a few scratches and cuts, but all in all nothing permanent and severe."

"What about that medic?" Naruto asked, he seemed more worried about that than the previous attacks, the Third guessed that it is because she made no indication of hurting him. The Third reflected on the tale by the medic; she was in tears, informing him what happened through sniffles. She was desperate to get home to her husband and child; she had to make sure they were safe. The Third sent her home and sent a squad of ANBU to protect her and the family just in case. The Third frowned and gave a small grunt.

"Look, considering the day that we all had, we'll just overlook that okay? No harm, no foul. But I expect you to apologise to her, I will be most upset if you don't, and believe me I will check up on it." Naruto nodded and took in a deep gulp; he looked very relieved. "One more question though; why did you freak out over a blood test? You have one every year; we were hoping to find out more about your ability, so we could help you."

_**I'll believe that when I stop devouring puppies, you old fossil, c'mon Naruto let me out; we'll turn this old git into a lampshade.**_ Burning rage was boiling; it was obvious the Darkness is totally against this.

_What? No, no, no! He has been good to me, to us. Don't hurt him...Wait a minute, he's the Third Hokage, what could we do to him, are you insane?_ The Darkness seemed disappointed but made no effort to argue, the hot rage dissipated almost instantly.

_**Fine, I'm satisfied for now. But no blood tests, no exceptions, otherwise I'll step back into play and chew out everyone who I don't like...which is everyone.**_ Naruto relaxed a little.

_Okay, deal. But what do we tell him about freaking out?_The Darkness mulled it over and came to a conclusion.

_**Tell him you have an avid fear of needles and this night sent you out over the edge.**_ With that the Darkness simply left. Naruto sighed to himself, _what am I?_

"Naruto?" The Third's voice brought him back. Naruto stared at him; the Third sat on the bed with a slightly quizzical look on his face.

"Umm..well, I have always hated needles and this night has been trying as you said." The Third narrowed hi s eyes a little, Naruto felt like he was being on probed.

"Well now that the stress it out of the way, we have good news for a change," The Third was cheerful about what was coming up, "you are to be enlisted to active field duty as a Konoha shinobi." For the Third it felt like a natural thing to say, for Naruto; it felt like a blow to the chest.

"Me? A ninja?" This was too good to be true. _I'm dreaming_, Naruto thought_, I am in my bed, alone and powerless, this can't be happening._

"Well...only if you want to and purely on a provisional status." The Third was glad that Naruto was enthusiastic about this revelation. "You will need to be monitored by your instructor as you have not attended the academy." The Third reached into his robes and pulled out a forehead protector with a blue band around it, the symbol for Konohagakure cleanly identified in the centre. "Not to mention- oof!"

The wind was knocked out of the old man by the hug of a very, very enthusiastic twelve year old blonde. The Third was surprised but nonetheless it was...heart-warming.

"I promise to work very hard!" Naruto was stifling tears of joy. The Third chuckled, _I know you will._ Naruto released the Third, who in turn placed the forehead protector in Naruto's shaking hands. It was cradled as one would a national treasure. The Third thought it would be best to leave it at that, Naruto was happy.

"Well, get some rest and get ready for tomorrow, pick up your equipment and your uniform " The Third looked at the clock, "the shops will open at about 8:00am, in meantime I suggest you get your rest." Nartuo nodded, staring at the forehead protector...his forehead protector with awe. Naruto gazed up to stare at The Third, "you need your ninja form completed, your photo will be taken in the main administration at 11:00am...sharp. Got it?" Naruto nodded, and just as The Third put his hand on the door "Oh, Naruto...Happy Birthday." As Naruto heard the click of the door as the Third left, he felt like rubbing it in to the Darkness.

_Bet you didn't see that happening, huh?_ Naruto could feel the presence in his mind; strong...and dark.

_**Don't get cocky Naruto, as you will learn, things are not as they seem.**_ The Darkness reverted to a more cautionary tone, the mocking and the aggression gone.

_What do you mean? How do you know?_

_**You are my vessel Naruto, you will see soon enough...now rest, and we'll deal with this...during the day. **_The Darkness groaned and gagged; as if say the word 'day' caused him pain. Naruto laid back on the bed, felt his head sink into the pillow, and as his eyes slowly close he thanked his lucky stars for what has happened...and for the first time in a while, he dreamed. He dreamed of a future of limitless possibilities and prospects.

* * *

Author: Badsy here, sorry for the delay. I was in exams. Now that I am free (At least for now) I plan to churn out the chapters like crazy.

This is the end of the Introductions Arc and the teams will be formed and so on and so forth. Thanks to everyone who has helped me form some ideas, I really appreciate it. I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far. If it is getting slow, please let me know so I can pick up the pace. Take care everyone! Review as always!


	11. Chapter 10: The Day of Light

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor the Darkness. It belongs to their prospective copyright holders.

I wish to apologize to all for the delay in the story. It has been a hectic time.

**_Hello- Darkness Talking (in Naruto's Mind)_**

"Hello"- Talking ordinary

_Hello- Thinking ordinary_

_**

* * *

Chapter 10: The Day of Light**_

_**

* * *

October 10th-7:14am-Konoha Hospital-Level 4**__**  
**_

* * *

Naruto slowly blinked himself into consciousness even though the longing for sleep calling for his return. He attempted to rise but it felt like an anchor was holding him back. After much effort he finally managed to sit at the side of his bed. Naruto initially did not know where he was but the events from last night quickly returned to memory. He remembered the pain, he remembered the Darklings...Mizuki, the blood test, the Third...and...the voice in his head.

Naruto puzzled over that last memory and thought to himself_...are you still there?_

_**Hello, Naruto. **_The voice sounded slightly cranky yet cheerful simultaneously. It still sounded inhuman though which gave Naruto the creeps.

_So you're still here, huh? _He slowly lifted himself off the bed and stretched his back and arms from side to side; Naruto could feel the rejuvenating effects of waking up his muscles.

'_**Still here'? What an ungrateful little worm.**_ The Darkness remained slightly passive yet Naruto could sense its irritation. _**You do realise, that without me, you would still be out there chopping wood.**_ Naruto shrugged off the insult yet realised that whatever the voice was; it was right.

_...I suppose..._

_**You're welcome.**_ The voice in his head, satisfied in victory remained silent.

Naruto glanced to the foot of his bed and focused his sleepy eyes on a new change of clothes; one of his white shirts with a blue swirl in the centre and a pair of plain blue pants, complete with sandals and boxers. Naruto slowly moved into the bathroom, still groggy from the lack of sleep.

_Someone got a new change of clothes for me while I was asleep. _Naruto removed the medical garments and put on the clothes. As Naruto finally put on his shirt, he felt his stomach growl; a growl of hunger rather than sickness.

"I'm going to have to get something to eat while I," Naruto smiled to himself, "while get my Shinobi gear." He looked in the mirror, and saw small rings around his eyes from the fatigue; he quickly splashed some water onto his face, and slapped himself awake.

"Alright! Let's do this!" Naruto walked out of his room and saw an empty hall; no guards, no nurses...no patients. The whole floor was totally devoid of life, yet the surrounding items such as the medical carts, the doors and the empty beds were in such a state of disarray; like everyone just left and did not bother to pack a thing. _That's odd._ The corridor was well lit, a mixture of artificial light with natural sun slipping through the open dormitories. As Naruto walked down the corridor he could feel as if he was being watched yet no one could be seen. Like a small block of ice was being placed against the back of his neck with the melted droplets slowly moving down his shoulders. The Darkness rustled a little, like a sleeping spider. Naruto was sure that he was being watched, _but from where?_ Then something answered, not the voice in his head, but rather a feeling; like a hunch, a gut instinct. Naruto spun around to look behind him...nothing, but he could swear he could hear something at the other end of the hall near the stairwell.

_Something whispering...ANBU? Must be my imagination, surely._ This was the last thing he needed, he had to play it cool, like nothing was wrong. Last thing the Third needed to find out is that he is paranoid nut job. Naruto turned and continued to walk down the stairwell trying to maintain his pace. Although he maintained the appearance of being calm, his mind was churning forth so many questions yet very little answers.

_Why would ANBU be watching me? Did the Third lie? It couldn't be ANBU...could it?_ Naruto posed the questions to himself but now that he has this gift; The Darkness, a new guest now resides in his head.

_**This does not bode well. We should run.**_ Naruto blinked, but continued his pace.

_That sounds out of place. No desire to kill something?_ Naruto mused but all he got was a rather shallow empty response, like a statement of fact.

_**I am only limited to what you are capable of, a flaw in my perfect armour. What bothers me is that if it is not ANBU what is it? We are vulnerable in daylight.**_Naruto was confused by what the Darkness was saying.

_Could be just the nerves, y'know, could be nothing?_

_**It could be everything, Naruto. **_Naruto could feel his heart rate quicken and a sweat starting to build despite the rather cool morning.

_**Get out Naruto, get into the elevator.**_ Naruto quickened his pace until he reached the elevator, repeatedly tapping the 'down' button as fast as his hand could. The elevator doors opened, revealing it to be empty. Though even if it was full he would have shoved himself in, an empty elevator was all the more convenient.

_**Get ready for anything**__._ Naruto could feel the Darkness gearing up, the elevator lights started to flicker. However, as the elevator doors closed, he half expected something to reach out and grab him like the horror movies he saw when he snuck into the cinema. Naruto thought the feeling of being followed to get stronger, instead it faded away like a magic trick; one second it was there, the next it was not. Naruto chuckled to himself; _just being paranoid_.

"See I told you it was just a feeling." Naruto said out loud. The Darkness grumbled and delved back to whence it came leaving a rather relived Naruto to ponder what to buy from the stores.

* * *

On the other side of the hospital; two masked men slowly emerged within the walls of the stairwell, the cement and brick fell away like water off leaves. Although both dressed in ANBU attire, their masks distinguished them from the rest of the already mysterious organisation. Instead of masks with an animal theme, their masks were left purely blank, white faces with two slits for their eyes.

One was rather tall and had scars running down his arms from injuries long past, while the other was of average height, with a blob of blondish hair running down the sides of his mask, making him look like a doll.

"Did you see that?" The blonde whispered to the other. "He knew we were here. Like he could sense us." The tall one, obviously the superior, remained quiet, though slightly fazed. He and his comrade were chosen specifically because of their stealth capabilities and some...child with no training whatsoever noticed them within 30 seconds.

_Unbelievable...yet undeniable_, he thought, _obviously his abilities are more worthwhile than imagined...and more dangerous._

"What do we do now?" the smaller of the duo said, "If he is on to us, we won't be able to monitor him effectively and if he manages to-"

"Enough." The superior did not even look at his subordinate. This was an interesting turn of events: it was established last night that he had some form of night vision, to see past illusions and reveal well hidden ANBU; it was thought that he could only operate during night time. Now, Naruto clearly has some ability to sense possible danger during the day...and where that danger is located. Yet it seems this new ability was not readily harnessed, it looked more like an instinct than an actual deduction. Such an ability is not very effective when it comes to combat, but immensely useful in avoiding ambushes.

"S-sempai?" The blonde asked for his superiors attention; the tall one looked at him but remained silent. The blonde continued, "shall we continue pursuit?" The superior did not even hesitate.

"No..." The tall imposing superior was cold in his order as if he did not like it but had no choice but to make it, "we report back to the boss...now"

_**

* * *

October 10th-7:20am- Konoha Hospital Lobby**___

* * *

The low rumbling of the elevator as it descended was both intimidating and yet at the same time relaxing, like deep breathing. Naruto leaned back against the wall of the elevator and closed his eyes. Naruto could not believe he got worked up over a feeling.

_Come on Naruto, you are a ninja now, you got to act like one._

The elevator quickly counted down until a glowing 'G' was on the top of the display, a mild rumble of the elevator indicated that it has reached its destination. The doors parted to reveal a much more comfortable setting. The ground floor of the hospital, the lobby, was bustling with life; young and old, parents and children were bustling around the hospital. Some were coming to visit sick relatives, others were coming in for a check up or consultation. Naruto saw a mother and daughter having an argument. The daughter was easily no older than 5.

"But mum! I don't wanna go to the doctor, they give me painful needles!" A crying toddler was pulling against her mother's strong grip, yet to no avail.

"Stop struggling! You are going to the doctor and that is final." The mother, her face red from effort, scolded her with frustration. "Should I tell your farther how naughty you've been?" Like magic words the child fell silent. Naruto chuckled to himself.

_Okay,_ Naruto thought, _first get some gear, then get some ramen and then head off to the Administration Building for my shinobi profile. _Naruto nearly bolted for the exit, however something was nagging at the back of his mind; something he had to do.

_But what?_ Naruto murmured, it was important, he knew that much. The Third was adamant about it.

"Why do I have to forget something so important?" Naruto turned slightly and glanced at the hospital reception and he saw a very familiar face. It was at that point Naruto remembered..._the nurse_. Naruto paled slightly, he was not looking forward to this; he felt embarrassed and very guilty over what happened last night.

_Come on, just do it!_ Naruto slowly approached the desk and saw the medic in her early twenties. She was leaning over the desk writing something, most likely file updates, but the look on her face said it all. Her eyes were blood shot from crying and her skin took a sickly pale colour. Naruto felt a wave of guilt engulf him, he had no idea how badly he hurt her, he swallowed it down and continued to approach. He was at the vey front of the reception desk and still she did not notice. Naruto was inclined to walk away now when he had the chance, but he felt obligated to do so. A promise made is trust placed and the last thing Naruto wanted was to have the Third think is that he betrayed his trust.

"Um...hey." Naruto whispered, yet nonetheless the nurse looked up and it was just as Naruto feared. Her eyes widened and jumped back, her scream echoed around the lobby rendering all conversations silent. Naruto did not need to turn around to guess that every single person was staring at him. The nurse reared back to the point where she nearly toppled over a chair, but luckily she nearly stumbled away.

_Last thing I need_, Naruto thought with some relief, _is for her to get hurt while I'm apologising to her._ After the nurse stepped further away she paused, her eyes filled with a sense of anger and...fear?

_I liked it better when they just ignored me or were apathetic_. Naurto was reluctant to actually say anything and just wanted to bolt for the nearest exit. He could feel his heart pounding and his face reddening .

"Look," Naruto's mouth was dry, it was amazing how quickly the body reacts to stress "I...I'm sorry for what happened... I didn't mean it." The nurse was not reassured, tears were welling up in her eyes.

"I hope-"

"Do you know what I went through?" The nurse's anger and frustration drowned out Naruto's voice. "I just needed to do a check up! A SIMPLE CHECK UP! What do I get? Demons and fucking death threats! I had to rush on home to make sure they were alright!"

_Oh shit, here we go._ Naruto thought. "I was hoping we could-"

"Get out of here!" The nurse screamed, "You freak!" The nurse knew that she was wrong the moment she said it. It was like her father used to say: _Never taunt the thing that can kill you in a heartbeat._

Naruto stood frozen where he was, his face slightly pale. The Darkness in the back of his head floated gently around his mind, like mist, yet it remained silent. The eyes that were staring at him from around the lobby slowly started to change; Naruto could sense ill will, fear and rage.

_Leave Naruto...just walk away. _Naruto slowly turned his eyes boring into the floor. As he walked out, apart from the tapping of his shoes, not a sound was made as he exited the hospital. _The first day of being a ninja is not exactly how I envisioned._

_**

* * *

October 10th-7:46 am-Konoha **___

* * *

Naruto trudged along; hands might as well be glued into his pockets. Naruto was not upset but rather worried; worried how this is going to turn out. As he continued his pace, he noticed that there was a lot less people around than usual.

Granted, alot of the families tended to make sure that they were somewhere else when Naruto was in the area, but even then there was at least a couple of dozen people on the streets. However, it was different this time, it was practically a ghost town, there was hardly anyone on the streets, no families, no street vendors...no one. Naruto counted only seven people scattered around the street.

_Seven people..._Naruto could care less, but he then noticed what the seven people were, and they were not ordinary citizens of Konohagakure.

_...Ninjas? _Naruto blinked and focused again to make sure that they were not illusions. They were real alright and they did not look happy to see Naruto. All of them were in standard chunin attire, they did not even bother to hide or be covert; they were just standing around in broad daylight...and they were all looking at Naruto, huge frowns pasted across their faces.

"H-hi guys." Naruto tried to put on a smile, but the ninjas remained impassive. "What's going on?"

"You." One of them near a closed stall, obviously the leader, walked slowly towards Naurto and stopped just shy of a couple of metres. "We have been ordered to monitor you, make sure you don't get into trouble." It was obvious that, whoever the hell this guy was, he was not happy with this mission.

_Less than 8 hours, not even a third of a day has gone by, and I am already making enemies. I am not a genius but I know when the odds are stacked in my favour. What can I-_

_**Oh for the love of all that is decadent, shut up! **_The voice sounded amused, yet grumpy at the same time._** You sound like an insecure whiny bitch!**_ So loud was the voice that Naruto could feel the Darkness resonating mildly around his body, it tickled a little, if felt like his teeth were wiggling around in their gums.

_**One minute you are happy the next you are depressed.**_ Naruto wanted to argue but it was unwise to do so in front of ninja's who are sent to monitor him. _**Now you are getting paranoid.**_

Naruto could feel himself sink further. _Why me?_

_**Now you are depressed again. This is turning out to be a liability. I never should have chosen you of all people, twelve years of investing gone down the drain.**_

Naruto slowly started to walk again, he felt himself shrink before the gaze of the chunin guards. Naruto bore a whole into the ground, putting one foot in front of another barely knowing where which direction he was heading.

_Just shut up..._ The voice in his head went silent again, he continued to walk down the main road he could swear was being watched by more than just the seven chunin who obviously did not like him, but more; civilians peeking through curtain windows, small animals hiding under whatever cover they can find whether it be verandas or bed covers.

_It_ _seems that what I have done has caused a very great rift in the waters. Everyone is on edge..._.Naruto was enraged due to the overreaction that was happening around them, _all this over some jerk. A jerk who tried to kill me in the first place? He was going to betray them! They should be thanking me! ME! _Deep down a cruel thought surfaced and Naruto could not help but smirk.

_...maybe the idea of taunting the harmless butt monkey of the village is a fun source of amusement but when people find out he is not so harmless after all... THAT is when people start to get worried. Could they be hoping that I have forgotten about their treatment? Don't count on it chumps..._

Naruto's mind was no longer concentrating on where he was; too busy revelling in a rather twisted fantasy. If he took the time to notice, the seven chunin stopped following him, in fact they started to falter. If Naruto even bothered to turn around he would notice very worried, perhaps even scared ninjas.

_What a murderous intent!_ The lead chunin thought to himself._ I did not sign up for this!_ One of the men under his command slowly, ever so slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out a kunai. The leader waved his finger at him; his subordinate very reluctant to relax the grip on his kunai.

"We are under explicit orders not to hurt him." The leader's voice so soft and quiet it was barely a whisper. "No matter what he has done...or who he has done it too." The subordinate nodded but did not relax his guard. With a slight wave of the group leader's finger, the seven ninjas slowly retracted back further and further until they were nearly twenty metres away. Only then did they follow Naruto's pace keeping an equal distance from him, his murderous aura still like pin pricks creeping along their stomachs.

_What a monster..._The group leader swore that he would never do something like this ever again.

_**

* * *

October 10th-8:04 am- Konoha **___

_

* * *

How I would love to give that fucking Kiba a beating. They would have to redefine torture when I get my hands on...him?_ _What?_ Naruto stopped in the middle of the road, blinking as if the sun was in his eyes_._ His mind was slowly and groggy, like awaking from a deep sleep.

_Why would I do that? Why would I think that? _The Darkness rustled a little in the back of his mind and immediately Naruto knew something was wrong...and who the culprit was.

_...You_. Naruto was both shocked and angered by the treachery of the Darkness.

_**Oops...Looks I have been discovered.**_ The Darkness wriggled in delight, it made Naruto dizzy yet slightly euphoric.

_Don't you do that again! You do not control me! I am a good person!_ _You will not trick me again! _Naruto wanted to scream and cry with all his might; it was infuriating to discipline something that is inside his own head and he cannot control it.

_**Control, my dear Naruto? You think I am controlling you?**_ The Darkness remained impassive. _**You are the one who is thinking it, I am just...giving you a slight push. You are not a good person Naruto, otherwise I would not have chosen you in the first place. **_If The Darkness had a face it would be smiling, much to Naruto's chagrin. _**You are just as rotten as every other meat sack in the world, the only difference is that others become one over the years...you are BORN one. Just like your predecessors.**_

_That is not true...wait, what?_ Naruto was just about to give the Darkness a good form of discipline but this not the first time the Darkness mentioned 'predecessors'. It was time that this was settled, Naruto turned around and to his surprise his 'guards' were well behind him, their faces carved like stone; none of the distain in their eyes but rather quiet caution.

"Finally...a chance to breathe." Being able to converse with whatever the hell was in his head is a relief, just thinking a conversation out is much harder than it sounds, especially when the other conversing partner was in your head.

"Okay..." Naruto kept his walking pace to avoid suspicions and his voice low to avoid any nosy people from listening in, "this has gone far enough...what the hell are you? What is the Darkness? And who or what are these 'predecessors'?" The voice was taken aback surprisingly enough, and remained in mildly stunned silence.

"What? Don't tell me, my 'predecessors' as you call them never asked you...it...whatever these questions."

_**Actually they did...thousands of**_ _**time, Naruto.**_ _**But you are the first one to ask the questions so quickly. **_

Naruto did not miss a beat "...huh?"

_**Just over eight hours...a new record.**_

"A new record for what?" Naruto nearly shouted his question, he tried to keep it together.

_**A new record for my host to actually ask what I am. You would be surprised how many of your predecessors just took my gifts for face value...the thought of what I was did not cross their minds for days, weeks, and in some cases; months or years. **_The Darkness hacked something awful, like it was coughing fit, Naruto did not know that it was supposed to be laughing. _**Some don't ask the question at all, too consumed in their own little world and fantasy for power.**_

"Whatever." Naruto was not fazed in the slightest. "I am not them and I am asking now...what are you?" The Darkness seemed to be enjoying the exchange, it was giggling, however most people would think it was something hacking up phlegm.

_**What I am? That is the ultimate question Naruto. Answer that, and you will be a legend amongst all your predecessors. **_Naruto kept a steady pace, he could feel the Darkness swirling kind of like a magician attempting to dazzle the audience.

"No games." Naruto was not buying this for one second, The Darkness knew more than it was telling. "What. Are. You?" The Darkness was not even annoyed in the slightest.

_**Well...that depends...**_ The Darkness was not willing to give the answers without a little fun.

"On what?"

_**On what I am to whom...to you**_ _**I am your best friend, your ultimate friend, your only friend Naruto. I am the thing you prayed to when you were bullied by that rat face Kiba. I am the one who heard your wish to be given something resembling a family and I am the one that heard your daily plea for a great destiny...something better than being a woodchopper. I am the answer to your prayers.**_

"...and to someone else?" Naruto felt a little uncomfortable about this...thing in his head knowing so much about him.

_**Heh, in that case I am something else altogether...but I am not going to answer that question.**_

"What about the fact you are a voice in my head?"

_**Same reason you have a voice, you are an entity that can communicate. I am the Darkness. A supreme being, this voice is simply a way the sentience of that being can communicate with its hosts.**_

"Bloodline limits can't talk." Naruto was firm with this statement of fact. The Darkness was unperturbed.

_**Well then... by that logic I am not a bloodline limit.**_ The response was timid yet very sly; like it knew something that Naruto did not. Naruto wanted to probe further but he had a feeling the Darkness was not going to be any more precise than he was now. It was time for the next question.

"What are these predecessors?" The Darkness would have rolled its eyes if it could.

_**C'mon genius. Think about it. There have been other people before you who have I have lent my power too. Some have achieved greatness and have been rewarded. Some squandered it on pitiful tastes and were punished for it.**_

"Whoa...punished?" Naruto did not like the sound of that.

_**Not by me I assure you. I lend power to those I choose, Naruto. Your predecessors were investments just like you, some paid off, and some did not. Those that did not, found themselves in very unfortunate situations and I was not willing to help.**_

"So you are saying that I am your servant? A slave under your control?" Naruto did not like the idea of being something puppet. "Bullshit, you are inside me. I control you."

_**That is what your predecessor said... and is arrogance got the best of him. I left him and he died because of it. He mistook my power for his, he learned very quickly how wrong he was. You will learn too, Naruto if you disappoint me.**_

"What can you possibly do to me?" Naruto sensed that the answer to this question would finish end the conversation one way or the other.

_**HA! **_The Darkness was revelling in Naruto's ignorance. _**Well how about this; I can manipulate your emotions, your eyesight, your hearing and as I have shown you last night, I can easily break free of your pitiful grasp. You do not control me, my dear puppet. I control you...**_

Naruto paled slightly and felt his stomach turn to jelly. A threat by some non-existent creature that happens to live inside you is unnerving to say the least. Naruto kept on walking, wondering how quickly this 'gift' can turn into a nightmare.

"Yo, Naruto. There is my favourite customer!" Naruto stared up and looked around for the source and Naruto sagged his shoulders a little. It was Teuchi sitting behind the counter of Naruto's favourite eating place; the Ichiraku Ramen Bar.

"Come on Naruto, I heard the good news. I'll treat you to something." Teuchi had a big grin on his face, he has known Naruto for a long time and apart from the Third the closest thing Naruto has to family. However, Naruto was not in the mood, his stomach nausea at the prospect of being trapped with this thing

"Sorry old man...but I am not in the mood. Another time, maybe." Naruto reverted his gaze back to the ground and continued to trudge on. Teuchi looked on, curious if he said something to offend him.

* * *

Authors Note: Hey Guys! I'm Back! Sorry for the delay but writing this chapter was bitch it as a lot longer too. I am getting back into the swing of things and writing a bit more not on this but other crossovers. Review as always and if there any problems PM me. Take care!


	12. Chapter 11: A Civil Scrutiny Part 1

Disclaimer and all that jazz.

"Hi"- talking normal

_Hi- Thinking Normal_

**"Hi"- Darkness manifestations**

_**Hi- Darkness (in Naruto's mind)**_

Sorry for the Delay, been working on other stories. Review as always.

_**

* * *

Chapter 11: A Civil Scrutiny of A New Ninja Part 1  
**_

_**

* * *

October 10th-8:12am-Konoha Tien Supply Store  
**_

The Konoha Tien Supply Store was the largest general ninja supply store in Konohagakure. There were other supply shops but they were restricted to very specific items like chakra blades and specialised sealing scrolls of the sort.

Considering that Naruto only found out that he was going to be a ninja less than 6 hours ago he thought this place would be as good a start as any.

Naruto reflected to the past when he saw previous academy graduates walk into this store on his way to work. They looked eager excited, there was even a pair of twins quite literally doing synchronised dancing on their way inside, their mother, a jounin laughing with pride. Naruto on the other hand was not all that excited, his mood tarnished by the Darkness's rather blunt yet vague explanation of their relationship, what turns out to be a gift that is actually a curse. Naruto came to terms that whatever this Darkness is, it was not a bloodline limit, but rather some...thing that can easily ruin Naruto's life on a whim.

_Not that I had a life to begin with._ Naruto sulked as he looked through the clothes section of the store. He was gazing at the clothes that came in a very generic set of colours. A lot of it was very basic stuff, mostly green and grey. Naurto almost moved to next row of clothes when he saw something as the very edge of his vision. He looked walked closer to it and realised it was a set of clothes; a jacket, shirt and pants. It was a bright orange jumpsuit. Bright. Orange.

_This is really cool. The coolest thing I have ever seen in fact. I think-_ Before Naruto had the chance to even finish that thought, the Darkness burst through like a battering ram.

_**You so much as THINK about buying that...thing and you will never sleep again!**_

_Aw, come on. _Naruto cannot believe this; he cannot even pick out his own clothes?

_**Are you arguing with me?**_ The Darkness sounded incredulous; like he could not believe an argument was developing over this.

_Please._ It was annoying to have to resort to pleading with a voice in his head, but Naruto thought it was worth a shot.

_**Well, now that you asked nicely...THE ANSWER IS STILL NO!**_ The Darkness resonated in Naruto's mind, creating a mild headache.

"What you got there, fella?" Naruto darted around to see a very old man stand before him, he was easily in the late 90's if not older. He wore a bright red cloak which hung loosely around him.

"Not much...who are you?" Naruto realised he sounded rude but frankly he was having a dodgy day and the day has barely started. The old man seemed indifferent.

"Me? I am Saru, I am the owner of this fine establishment. Who are you, young man?"

"Ummm...Uzumaki Naruto." Saru's eyes opened and regarded Naruto. Naruto expected something stereotypical of the villagers; telling him to get out of their store, yell at him, call him a freak. That did not happen though; instead the old man broke out into a toothy grin.

"Ahhh yes... the Third mentioned you might be coming in. He said you might need some clothes and equipment." He put a firm hand on Naruto's shoulder and slowly started to guide him through the front. "Let's see what we can do for you." Naruto did not bother to resist and followed the old man's guidance; he seemed nice enough.

_This is going to be interesting_. Naruto was not really sure whether to trust the old man's judgement but it was better than nothing.

"By the way, boy," Naruto glanced up at the old man, who was peering down at him, nodded to something in Naruto's hand, "what you got there?" Naruto glanced down, it was the orange jumpsuit; he forgot to put it back on the rack.

"I-I was just browsing." Naruto blushed; hoping the explanation was enough. The old man put on a lopsided smile.

"You were actually considering buying that?" The old man nearly burst out laughing. "That is a kids suit, it's for amateurs and morons! Not ninjas." Saru grabbed the suit and tossed onto a nearby bench behind him. "You are going to get killed if you show up in that suit, it is not even used for looking cool, much less practical use. People will think you are retarded. Can you imagine someone buying that? Yeesh!"

"Y-Yeah, that would be silly." Naruto tried to chuckle but his face turned redder than ever. "Can't imagine anyone would want to buy that." Naruto hoped his voice did not give way to his embarrassment.

"Me neither..." Saru chuckled to himself. "Now...let's get you some clothes."

_**

* * *

October 10th-8:30am-Hokage Office  
**_

"I am telling you, this will never happen!" A very angry Inuzuka Tsume was on the verge of getting violent. The Third was sitting behind his desk in the Hokage office trying to avoid rolling his eyes, this was not the first complaint he has received. News of Naruto becoming part of the ninja constituency has created a very powerful and mixed reaction. There have been approvals, there have been objections and in the case of the Inuzuka and Aburame Clans there have been more...vocal outbursts.

The Aburame Clan were actually more reasonable than the Inuzuka Clan, in that they requested for the sake of efficiency that Naruto is not assigned to missions with members of the Aburame Clan. Naruto has a very unpleasant relationship not just with the clan's bugs, but indeed all animals. Naruto's presence will make the bugs sloppy and rebellious not to mention due to the rather close relationship the bug users have with their internal hives it affects them physically and mentally as well.

_Typical Aburame_, The Third mused, _their arguments are practically undebatable._ However, reminiscing is for later, now the Third to deal with the Inuzuka clan, whose arguments were a lot less...structured.

"What will never happen, Tsume?"

"Naruto! Becoming a ninja requires years of training an effort just to reach genin! You can't just let someone skip that on a whim!" The Third grunted but allowed the outburst to continue. "Besides that he's a freak. Our dogs cower at the very sight of him, and that smell!" The Third narrowed his eyes and listened to Tsume's words. "He smells like a rotting carcass in a swamp."

_Rotting carcass?_ The Third thought about his time with Naruto and the term 'rotting carcass' nor 'swamp' ever popped up in his mind._ The Inuzuka clan has the keenest sense of smell in all of Konoha perhaps even the ninja world, who knows what they sense. But they are getting out of line._

"Get rid of him! We both know you have been faced with this option before." Tsume was very determined about what forcing the conversation this direction. The Third's stomach sank a little...someone has been telling tall tales and he had a good idea who did it.

_Homaru...Koharu...are you that dedicated to this child's death?_

"Hokage-sama! This is serious. We have to-"

"Tsume...shut up." Tsume was grasping for the kills. The Third thought it was time to end this.

"But-"

"Silence!" The Third leaned back into his chair, his pipe lit and smoking like a chimney. "You are right Tsume, I had an option like what you mentioned on the table and I tossed it out the window. Besides," The Third narrowed his eyes, his gaze focused on the Head of the Inuzuka Clan, "I don't think you are here out of the wellbeing or concern of the village."

"I don't get it." Tsume stood firm, The Third had to give her credit; she was strong willed if nothing else.

"I know the fact that practically all the bullying and harassment I have seen inflicted on Naruto has been committed by your clan." The Third's eyes were so narrow they might as well be closed.

"That is preposterous." Tsume's response was too quick...too rehearsed to be a genuine denial.

"So you are saying the ANBU investigators are wrong?" The Third smelled a victory, and he did not even have to get into a fight. Tsume knew it as well; calling ANBU investigators wrong is akin to social suicide, you had to have substantial evidence to stand a chance and Tsume had nothing...at least nothing that would be held against ANBU scrutiny.

"I know about the insults, the late night harassments, the property damage, even the actual physical attacks."

"Well..." Tsume thought about it, "that is just some stupid 'initiation' committed by the younger pups of the clan. They will-" The Third had enough.

"An initiation condoned by the adults Tsume, the investigation was quite thorough." The Third's eyes were fully open, he reached into his pocket, pulled out a lighter, relit the pipe and put it back. "Bottom line, I think this complaint stems out of fear."

"That is ridiculous..." Tsume seemed to be gazing off in the distance, stretching her neck...she was obviously not comfortable with this. "What makes you think I...we, would be scared of one boy?"

"Because that 'boy' devoured a high level chunin quite literally and if it was not for Iruka calming Naruto down, you would be sharing the same fate of Mizuki." Tsume stood there in stunned silence. "You are the leader of your clan, one of the strongest and if one boy can take you down he could easily remove the rest of your clan." Tsume looked as if she had just seen a ghost. The Third delivered the metaphorical 'killing blow'.

"Do you think Naruto has forgotten about the horrible things your clan has done to him?" The Third saw a slight twitch develop under Tsume's eye. Instantly, the Third knew what the problem was.

"That's what this is about isn't it?" The Third regarded a shaking Tsume with a sense of mild concern. "The Inuzuka Clan is worried that now Naruto can actually fight back; your clan is the first thing he is going to take care of. Your son in particular...Kiba isn't it?"

Tsume was shaking like a leaf, the fatigue in her eyes was visible, and she obviously did not get any sleep since the incident in the hills. Tsume had actually put the whole clan on guard the whole time. Tsume herself made sure that his son and daughter were safe. She was well aware that Kiba tormented Naruto the most, normally she would be more encouraging, but now that Naruto has...changed, something had to be done. Like the Third said; it was unlikely that Naruto would forget so many years of torment in less than one night.

"The Inuzuka Clan would be extremely grateful if something could be done." Tsume's voice seemed resigned, no longer grasping for straws but rather just hoping for a miracle. The Third raised an eyebrow in surprise.

_I did not expect this._ The Third was just stating facts, but never expected genuine fear. _Obviously this is a pretty serious matter for the Inuzuka Clan. I never got this kind of reaction from the Aburame clan, but then again they never actually did anything to Naruto._

The Third clasped his hands together and thought about a solution. Normally he had the utmost faith in Naruto's integrity but certain events flowed into his mind.

_The attack on Iruka...a friend, the nurse, the occasional bloodlust...Danzo's interest in these turn of events, Homaru, Koharu...could Naruto do what Tsume is scared of?...Possibly. Retribution is a natural part of being human, Naruto is no different._

"Okay...here is what we will do." The Third opened his eyes and stared at Tsume who was hanging on his every word. The Third started to count the solutions with his fingers.

"I will have a word with Naruto about this...problem. He will listen to me. I will also have one of my operatives monitor your clan house on a weekly basis and I will have someone keep an eye on Naruto. I will make sure that Naruto is not in the same team as your son or any Inuzuka clan member nor will he be anywhere near the clan houses." Tsume relaxed a little, the Third continued.

"In return, I expect no interference of Naruto's training, not just from you but your whole clan. No talking, no bullying, no harassment. For all intensive purposes he is off limits. Your dogs will know when he is nearby." Tsume squirmed but remained silent.

"I would expect an official apology from your entire clan but that would be hoping for too much...wouldn't it?" The Third smirked and Tsume although tensed up could not help but smile just a little; an official apology is a very humiliating experience and for the Inuzuka Clan it was even worse. "Scrap that. Just leave him alone." Tsume nodded in approval.

"Also; no more talking about killing, hurting, banishing or imprisoning Naruto. This is the second time I had to hear it...there will not be a third. Deal?"

"Done!" Tsume's eyes narrowed, she was hoping for something a little more permanent but she knew a good deal when she saw it, she gave a small bow and headed out. The Third relaxed in his chair a little, however he could not help but mull over the situation.

_I never thought the situation would be so controversial, nor did I think for one second Danzo was involved this much._ The Third bit his lip, trying to make sense out of it. _For everyone that publicly disagrees there is at least a dozen that silently disagrees. The question is... who is against this?_

_**

* * *

October 10th-10:30am-Konoha Tien Supply Store  
**_

Saru was getting slightly impatient yet very excited at the same time, Naruto was a challenging customer, he needed a very precise set of gear in order to be effective, while at the same time incredibly practical. It seemed that Naruto was getting instructions from someone who was not there; he would look at something and depending he would either accept it or refuse it. Saru even had to go back and look for the more older gear and clothes.

Saru just took whatever he could find and toss it over the changing stall which Naruto was currently occupying.

"Hurry Naruto! We have got to see if this works and I don't have all day." Saru called.

"Okay old man, gimme a minute." Naruto seemed to be struggling with his new clothes. Saru heard the click of the changing room and the door opened. Saru had a good look at him...and he was very impressed.

"Now that is very interesting." Saru reflected on it with an approving look. "Very practical and incredibly old school...I like old school."

Naruto stepped out of the change room and looked very much like a heavily armoured modern samurai. He had the classic armour that rolled along his upper and lower chest, back, ribs, legs, shoulders and arms, which was reminiscent of what the First and Second Hokage wore to battle. He wore basic long military grade pants with heavy boots with a metal soles at its base giving a heavy "thump" with every step made. Instead of an old battle helmet he had a very wide brim hat called a takuhatsugasa which covered his whole body in shadow, it would normally appear goofy but Naruto pulled it off very well. Finally he covered himself with a long flowing trench coat that reached down to his shins with two very deep pockets. With exception of the hat which was made of straw, he was completely dressed in black.

"Don't you feel hot in there?" Saru was impressed with the style but for a novice ninja like Naruto it seemed a little to taxing on the body.

"Surprisingly, no." Naruto seemed very casual. "How do I look?" Saru gestured to the mirror beside him and Naruto stood in front of it.

"Cool." Naruto looked himself up and down. _What do you think?_

_**Nice. Very nice Naruto, told you I would make you look the part.**_

_True but still that orange uniform looked cool. _

_**Naruto, let us pretend you never said that and move on.**_

"So," Saru sensed his work was complete, "what do you think?"

"I'll take it." Naruto's immediate response made Saru chuckle. He reached into his robes and pulled out a small calculator. After pushing a series of buttons he showed Naruto the result.

"It will cost this much." Saru was nonchalant about the number.

Naruto's jaw dropped; that was a lot of money, nearly a month's pay.

"Yeesh! Trying to bankrupt me old man?" Naruto muddled around in his old pair of clothes for his frog wallet.

"Hey! Your fault you chose the older and rarer items of the store. That trench coat is fire proof thank you very much." Naruto pulled out all the money in his wallet and handed it over to Saru begrudgingly. Saru seemed very carefree as he walked towards the counter, a very broke Naruto trailing behind him.

"Need any weapons? Kunai? Shuriken?" Saru had a big grin plastered on his face.

"You cleaned me out dammit!" Naruto was slightly annoyed at the fact that he just lost a huge chunk of his savings. Saru just laughed and after a quiet pause he smiled.

"Tell you what, considering you have been an excellent customer." Saru slowly caressed the money in his hand, much to Naruto's chagrin. "I'll let you have a free set of kunai and shuriken and if you want to buy more you can pay me next month." Naruto perked up a little at this bargain.

"If that is the case I'll take you up on that offer old man." Saru cringed slightly, he came to terms with the fact that he was old but being called 'old' was still annoying. He reached behind the counter and pulled two boxes, one kunai, one shuriken and placed them gently on the counter. Both boxes combined were very bulky and quite heavy as well. Naruto would have bit of a problem carrying it around. Still it was a nice gesture on the store owners part.

"These will be more than eno-" Naruto could not even finish his sentence without being interrupted.

_**Get more.**_

What?

_**Get more, Naruto. A lot more.**_

_These will last me at least a month if not a whole year. _

_**I have no doubt, just get more Naruto.**_

_Where the hell would I put 3 boxes of weapons much less two on my person? How much more are we talking?_

_**Just let me worry about that. Get at least four boxes.**_

_Goddammit you are going to bankrupt me._

_**Money is the easiest thing to get now that you have got me to help you.**_ Naruto heaved a huge sigh and stared back at patient Saru.

"I'll have at least four boxes please." Saru was taken aback.

"Four? That is quite a lot? How are you going to carry it?" Saru reached inside the counter and pulled four boxes. The six in total would not be carried, not even in Naruto's dreams.

_Great job you idiot. What am I going to do with all these?_

_**Open them up and put the kunai and shuriken into your pockets.**_

_What?_

_**Just do it!**_ Naruto was a quick learner and it was just better to do what the voice in his head said no matter how ill advised or crazy that sounds.

Naruto opened the first box on the counter; kunai. He grabbed a handful by the grips and put it into his pockets. Even though it was a big trench coat had hug pockets, it was easily filled.

_Great, now what. Where am I going to put the rest? Up my ass?_

_**Hardly. Just shut up and watch.**_ Although Naruto could not see it, he could feel something rather cold spreading around his coat pocket, and then all of a sudden, the weight in his pocket was gone. Naruto peeked inside to see the pocket was completely empty, no kunai in sight.

_How did you do that?_

_**Darkness is now our domain. You can hide anything you want for safekeeping in the dark, no matter how big or cumbersome, much better than a scroll or backpack.**_ Naruto's face sported a wide smile that stretched from ear to ear. He grabbed another handful and continued to place both kunai and shuriken in his coat, again it disappeared. In less than a few minutes he emptied all six boxes.

"How? What- that's! How the hell did you do that?" Saru was staring the whole time Naruto pulled his magic trick, he still could not believe it. "I did not put seals inside the trench coat, nor the pants! How did you do that?"

"Well..." Naruto was careful with his words, the old man was nice and he did not want the Darkness to do something unpleasant. "You know how I was not a ninja yesterday but I am today?"

"Yes."

"This is one of the reasons why." Naruto gestured at the empty boxes before him. Saru narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"Naruto, I don't understand. What do you mean?"

_**Careful Naruto, careful.**_ Naruto could hear the Darkness squirming and that is when he realised that Saru's shadow on the back wall behind him was morphing. The shadow made no sound as it took shape and looked like a gaping hole in the wall, and a pair of blood red eyes morphed in the middle of the Darkness.

"Hey look old man; thanks for all your help but I got to head off. Don't want to keep the Third waiting. See ya!" Without another word Naruto took off. "Don't worry I'll pay you back later."

Saru tried to call Naruto back but he was gone. He just stood there behind his counter wondering what made Naruto worry. He looked behind him only so see his shadow on the empty wall.

"Naruto is a very curious person."

_**

* * *

October 10th-11:15am-Inuzuka Main Clan House  
**_

The Inuzuka Clan house is a rather spacious venue unlike other clan houses. Most of the Inuzuka Clan houses are wide open spaces filled with green fields. Normally in the morning the younger generation would play and learn with their new pups, and in the afternoon the more seasoned members would go out hunting. However on this morning in particular there was not a peep, all windows were boarded up and all doors were locked tight. Effectively, the moment Tsume found out what happened in the hills the entire Clan was on lockdown.

After Tsume got back from her meeting from the Hokage she ordered a family meeting, adult members only. The majority of the Inuzuka Clan gathered in the main house, they encircled their leader; Inuzuka Tsume, waiting to see what is going to happen.

"How are the dogs doing?" Tsume asked quietly.

"All the dogs were supervised in cages by the more senior family members." One of the clan members piped up. Tsume frowned; ever since midnight they have been out of control, running all over the place and strangely aggressive. The dogs were snarling, growling and even trying to bite their human counterparts, even the ones they have been partnered with them for several years.

"Korumaru?" Tsume's voice was barely even a whisper. It pained Tsume to lock up her oldest friend but by the time she found him, he barely knew who he was much less her.

"Stable, but not well," Tsume's daughter, Hana spoke, she had no sleep last night trying to calm down the dogs was no easy tasks, "he is not eating and is barely able to communicate. He's terrified, mother."

Tsume closed her eyes and hoped that it would pass, but it seemed unlikely, at least for a while. All the animals in Konohagakure were acting strangely; the birds were not singing and there was no sign of basic animal life in the nearby woods, as if they left in a hurry. Although the Aburame clan would never admit it, Tsume can only imagine what was happening to their insects. The Inuzuka dogs have taken the worst of it though.

"What do we do, Tsume-sama?"

"We have been ordered to avoid Naruto. I cannot stress this enough to our children not to provoke him." Tsume was troubled still wondering what the next step would be. "We are to just let him be, the Hokage will deal with him."

The rest of the clan did not seem to be pleased with this, most of them voted to banishing or even killing Naruto, most people would have thought this as a little extreme but the Inuzuka clan knew that he was not human, not with that stench hanging over him.

_I know the Aburame clan can sense it to_, Tsume thought, _how can they be placid in this?_

"The Third is a fool." One of the Inuzuka Clan, Inuzuka Chitzu, roughly 20 years of age was less than pleased with the Third's decision.

"Watch your tongue you idiot." Tsume was incensed. "Otherwise I will send you back to the Academy so help me! The Third is the Third and you will not question his decisions."

_However, Chitzu is right._ Tsume thought, each step sounded like a child stamping across the room,_ sure he gave us some room to breathe but that is only a stopgap. The Third is a stubborn as hell and there is no doubt some of his decisions are based on his close friendship with that...thing._

"Tsume-sama." Chitzu spoke up, standing his ground, "I think I speak for everyone when I say this; the children are getting nervous and frankly some us are as well...me included."

"I know that, but we can't let this get to us. We are the goddamn Inuzuka Clan and we will not be scared in to submission by some wretched freak!" The rest of the Clan stared at Tsume with resolve; she was right there was many of them and only one Naruto.

"Bottom line something like Naruto cannot be controlled and will not fit in, no matter how much the Third wants to. Naruto will screw up when he does we will make our move then."

"Why can't make a move now?" The only clan turned to the sole voice of objection, he was standing in the middle of the doorway of the Clan meeting room. Tsume sighed when she saw who it was; Kiba, her son. Kiba seemed initially quiet at first, he was only 12 years old but very bold, like his mother.

"Kiba," Tsume sighed, "why are you here? Get ready for assignment today."

"This is ridiculous, why don't you do what you have to do now? Why wait, you have got the Aburame Clan on our side right?" Kiba said out loud.

"Because, pup," Tsume narrowed her eyes, "what we will have to do is kill Naruto. You want that?" Kiba seemed to pause and his ears perked up.

"You understand Kiba? We will most likely have to kill him. The Third does not want that, he thinks that we are just afraid of him and you know what? He is right." The whole clan turned their eyes to the clan leader in shock, this does not sound like the bold leader of the Inuzuka Clan.

"We are afraid..." Tsume said glancing at her family, "and if we aren't we should be."

"He is just a little brat-" Whatever Chitzu was going to say was immediately cut off.

"You were not there, Chitzu!" Tsume screeched. "You were not there! You did not SEE him! You have no idea what he is capable of! He nearly ripped my goddamn head off!" She pointed at the scars along the side of her cheek. The whole clan remained silent.

"And if wasn't for that naive twit, Iruka, I would be dead!" Tsume emphasised every word with caution. "Naruto is a threat not only to us but all of Konoha! We know this even if everyone else doesn't, his murderous rage is foul, and now that he can fight back it is only a matter of time before he comes for us."

"We can hold him off!" Hana said with determination, even though deep down she knew it was foolhardy; Tsume is one of the strongest clan members, even without Kuromaru. If she can be taken down, so can everyone else, and judging from what she has told them, strength in numbers is not much of an advantage.

"No we can't, daughter." Tsume stared at the floor, wondering how to solve this puzzle. "We have to find out what he is capable of before he makes a move on our children." She glared at Kiba who had a worried frown upon his face.

_I will not let you hurt my son, Naruto._ Tsume was not going to standby for...whatever Naruto was to make his move. _You won't get to Kiba, or any other of the Inuzuka children._

"So we have to put some recon on him? Who is willing to do that?" Chirped one of the clan members.

"Don't worry. That is already taken care of."

"How?" Tsume could not be bothered answering puerile questions, she shoved her way past the clan members and left for the town, there was much work to be done.

"Kiba," Kiba looked at her mother tentatively, "get to school for teams. Bring Akamaru."

"He is in the pen." Kiba asked slightly forlorn.

"Then let him out, he needs you now more than ever." Tsume turned to the rest of the clan. "That goes for the rest of you. Our partner's are in trouble we have to help them through this."

Each of the clan members nodded in approval but did not move. Tsume regarded the clan...her clan with a sense of pride and concern.

"This meeting is adjourned."

* * *

Author's Notes: Howdy fellas. Well its been a long while but here is the latest chapter. I apologize if it is a bit rushed, please let me know if there is a problem. Also it has been determined that the classic team 7 (Kakashi, Saskue, Sakura, Naruto) will be used. Hope you like the chapter and the ones in the works. Review or PM as usual.


	13. Chapter 12: A Civil Scrutiny Part 2

Disclaimer...take that. Sorry everyone there was an error and had to resubmit it for some reason.

_Hi-thoughts normal_

"Hi"- Talking normal

_**Hi-The Darkness Talking (in Naruto's mind)**_

_**"Hi"- The darklings**_

_**

* * *

Chapter 12: A Civil Scrutiny Part 2**_

The Third regarded Naruto's photo very carefully, a simple young man with a broad smile across his face. The Third smirked at the boy's obvious excitement.

_The joys of being young I suppose._

He looked up from the photo to see the boy sitting opposite from him in his ninja gear, which turned more than a few eyes his way as he travelled to the main office.

_I am not surprised though, his gear is extremely old fashioned. I have not seen something like that in about 30 years...surprised they still make it._

"Naruto...your gear, I am not denying that it is definitely classy, but isn't that a little...obsolete." The Third smiled.

"Hehe...well it is comfortable not to mention it will protect me. A lot more than the modern day stuff."Naruto chuckled while scratching the back of his head.

"True, true...but didn't you consider the aspect of weight and fatigue." The Third smiled even if he had to make a serious point of being a practical. "You are going to get very tired and you will not be able to move as fast. A ninja HAS to move fast and light and you won't be able to do that in your current gear."

Naruto had to admit that The Third does have a point, his current clothes would naturally slow someone down and it was certainly heavy...but not to him. Naruto could not explain it but it felt just as light as basic clothes and it was not hot as one might expect. He actually felt stronger than usual, he had no doubt that it had to do with The Darkness, but how or why is a different story. The voice in his head was reluctant to give out any details.

"Naruto it is probably better just to get new gear." The Third seemed adamant.

"Well, can we just see how I do with this...at least for a while?" Naruto tried to put on his best smile possible, but it just made him look nervous. The Third chuckled to himself.

"Well I suppose we could-" The Third's eyes quickly dashed to the door, to see it burst open and a small figure dashing towards the Third at an astonishing rate.

"Fight me old man! This time I'll get you!" The figure called out, it sounded like a child's voice. Despite the speed of the figure, Naruto could see something in its hand...shuriken.

_An assassin?_ Naruto tried to reach for the intruder but it was too fast. Naruto in the end did not have to; it tripped over and fell.

"OW! Not again!"The outcries were the only source of sound in the room, which was completely warped in stunned silence and disbelief.

Naruto finally saw the sprawled out figure on the floor. It was a boy, younger than Naruto, he wore a yellow shirt with the Konoha symbol in red, grey shorts, a long blue scarf that reached to the floor, a grey helmet that had an orange frowny face on the right side, a red circle on the left side, and had a hole at the top for his hair to stick out of.

_He looks...ridiculous, and the Third is complaining about my outfit?_

"That hurt! What is this? A trap?" The boy quickly stood up and looked around, desperately trying to figure out the source of his fall; not realising that it was his own scarf tied itself around his leg.

"Was it you?" Naruto realised that the kid was pointing a finger straight at Naruto.

"...what." Naruto could not comprehend what kind of logic this kid was using, to believe that Naruto who was five meters away was responsible for causing some kid tripping on his own scarf.

"It was you wasn't it!" The kid was having a tantrum, creating loud thumping steps as he marched in front of Naruto who sat stunned on his seat. The Third did a rather comical face palm. Naruto cocked his head slightly.

"Ummm...that wasn't-" Naruto was interrupted as the kid lunged forward, his left hand curled up into a fist and it was aimed directly for Naruto's head. Naruto felt The Darkness uncoil in the back of his mind.

"-my fault." Naruto could not explain it but the next thing he knew; he was standing upright, caught the fist with his left hand and his right was firmly placed on the kid's throat, the child standing on his toes.

_Holy crap!_ Naruto was amazed that he caught the would-be attack dead in his tracks_. I did not even have time to react. How did I...do that?_

If Naruto was surprised then the child was absolutely aghast with disbelief his eyes wider than plates. The Third was not shocked but rather pleasantly surprised.

_So_, the Third mused, _automatic muscle defence. Normally, you have to train for years to get that level. Naruto reached it in one night. It is not as refined as Rock Lee or Miato Gai and would certainly not hold up against a better attack, but still...interesting._

The Third turned his attention to the door as heard footstep approaching at a hurried rate.

_If Konohamaru is here, then Ebisu is not far behind. Got to give Konohamaru this; he certainly knows how to give someone the slip._

Sure enough a tall dark haired man appeared in the door way. His eyes were covered by sunglasses, he wore his forehead protector like a bandana and wore a completely dark blue ninja uniform. There was a look of relief on his face, but once he realised that his prized student was in Naruto's grasp he flipped.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Ebisu cried, Naruto looked up at the new arrival with mild curiosity.

"Let him go! NOW!" Ebisu looked like he was about to have a heart attack.

_Ebisu really needs to learn to calm down,_ The Third sighed, _he will be dead by thirty if he keeps up like this._

"Don't you know who that is? That is the Third's grandson, Konohamaru!" Ebisu was adamant shaking his hands up and down like a bird. Naruto stared at the boy, Konohamaru with fresh eyes and strangely disappointment.

_...the Third's grandson._ Naruto was silently staring at Konohamaru up and down taking in his appearance again. Naruto looked up at again at the Third who was silently monitoring the events unfolding. _There is a resemblance, no doubt about that._ _Intelligence must skip a generation in the Sarutobi family._ Konohamaru mistook Naruto's lack of action for hesitance.

_So_, Konohamaru smirked, _he just like all the others_. _Now that he knows who I am he will treat me with kid gloves._

"What are you going to do now, eh tough guy? Hit me?" Konohamaru felt secure he knew this boy would not do anything. Naruto narrowed his eyes in disgust.

_**Kill him, Naruto.**_ The Darkness was relishing the prospect to devouring a child, it has not done so in nearly twenty years.

_No._

_**Yes. Don't tell me you're not considering it.**_

_Just shut up and let me handle this._ Naruto fell back to reality and the situation at hand.

"-c'mon, or are you afraid? You won't be able to take me on anyway!" Konohamaru was still boasting not realising Naruto was not really listening or caring.

"I am not one to judge Konohamaru." With one sentence Konohamaru was rendered silent.

"I do this not because I like you but rather because I like your grandfather." With that Naruto simply released his grip and Konohamaru plopped back the ground.

"You are just like the rest! Too much of a wuss!" Konohmaru seemed more upset than cocky, much to Naruto's surprise.

"Maybe, but let me tell you something. You're grandfather is for a lack of a better term my hero." He looked up at the Third and smiled a genuine smile. The Third returned it.

"It sickens me that someone like you," Naruto looked down as the attentive Konohamaru, "can be related to him. You render such a great man's legacy invalid simply by _breathing _much less your actions. If you are the next generation of ninja then I fear for Konohagakure's future. "

Konohamaru recoiled back as if he was sting, tears starting to well up in his eyes. No one has ever hit him before, but no one has _ever_ said something as cold. Ebisu nearly fainted from such insolence and the Third's jaw might as well have dropped to the floor.

"Y-you can't say that to me! I am the next Hokage!"

"That set in stone?" Konohmaru nodded with confidence. Naruto was losing his patience.

"Then behave like one." Naruto's eyes narrowed so that Konohamaru was the only thing he saw in his field of vision. Naruto had feeling of animosity for this child before him, desecrating the legacy of a great man by acting like an idiot and spouting nonsense like becoming the Hokage.

"If you want to be a kid, then be one. If you want to be a ninja then be one, you cannot do both at the same time." Naruto sat back in his chair and stared at straight into Konohamaru's flinching eyes. A brief flash of gold skimmed Naruto's irises, Konohamaru blinked in surprise.

_What scary eyes_, Konohamaru nearly took a step back, _they look so angry._

"I myself just became one but even I know the difference in abilities, between you and him," Naruto pointed his finger to the Third, "you don't look noble, you look retarded."

Konohamaru with the last jibe, simply sobbed. Naruto flinched just a little, depressing memories of him crying alone on his bed were flooding his mind, but he has grown used to such misery, it was time that this kid did too. Konohamaru without another word simply walked away, tears streaming down his face.

"Konohamaru-sama." Ebisu crouched down to try and see eye to eye, Konohamaru simply walked out the door, his footstep echoing into the distance.

"Why you little freak of nature!" Ebisu reared and started to quickly walk towards Naruto. Naruto seemed to realise the danger and rear back.

"Wait, Ebisu." Ebisu stopped dead in his tracks and turned to the source of the voice...the Third Hokage. "I'll deal with this, you go look for Konohamaru."

"Okay, Hokage-sama." Ebisu seemed unwilling to follow with his orders but he accepted them nonetheless. With one last look of pure venom reeled at Naruto, Ebisu left quietly closing the door behind him.

The Third pulled out his pipe and with a snap of his fingers the pipe lit. He puffed quietly without saying a word, just staring at Nauto. Every passing second made Naruto feel as if he was before an inquisition, and what he said sounded increasingly stupid.

"That was..." The Third quietly muttered, it seemed as if he was not directing the question at Naruto but to someone else, "...a little harsh. Don't you think, Naruto?"

_Great job you idiot_! Naruto thought to himself. _You just pissed the greatest opportunity of your life down the drain._ Naruto concluded it could not possibly get any worse; maybe he will go back to chopping wood, he was used to it already._ Ah what the hell._

"No." Naruto's tone was resolute in his decision. The Third seemed unfazed.

"Why?"

"Because being a ninja is not some child's game."

"He is young Naurto, he can be pardoned, yes?" The Third was trying to steer this down the right path but Naruto was not going to have it.

"He wants to play, let him play. Being a child and a ninja are two separate things that cannot mix, they have to be separated. While he is being a ninja he should leave that stuff at the door."

"What makes you think you are qualified to say that? There was little harm with what he was trying to do." The smoke from the Third's pipe was being emitted at a faster pace. Naruto flinched at the question, sure he was not qualified but still...

"Maybe not now. But being a ninja, there is life and death in the balance."

_**Yes life and death, let us go ask Mizuki, he'll tell the truth, eh? HAHAHA!**_

"Too true but there is nothing wrong doing it here." The Third gestured to his surroundings

"Here, there may not be much of a problem but he will be carrying that ethos into a conflict." Naruto felt as if he is on a role. "He is going to pick on someone who is out of his league. He will be the first one to go down."

"You mean agianst someone like you?" The Third's glare was unwavering. Naruto flinched again, the Third is asking some rather harsh questions.

"Someone like _you."_ Naruto pointed at the Third, and the Third raised an eyebrow.

The Third cocked his head to the side. Something in Naruto's voice seemed off. The Third was a master of diplomacy he knew there was another angle.

"What is the real issue you have with my grandson, Naruto?"

"He is ungrateful, treating his abilities like a child's toy." The Third stared at the boy with narrowed eyes.

"He should be grateful, because he has the chance to be something. He has the chance to not to die alone and forgotten. He has a CHOICE!...Unlike some people." Naruto reflected, he noticed that the Third's smoke started to engulf the desk.

"Naruto, I can appreciate your position...and your point of view. But that part of your life is over now, you have a chance to do something now. It is not appropriate to judge the boy especially when you hardly know him." The Darkness started to stir a little, a low growl sounded from the depths of Naruto's mind.

"He hardly knows me...yet he nearly attacked me! If he tried that yesterday it would have connected and it would have hurt!"

"That is enough Naruto." The Third knows when it is time to stop arguing a point and just pull rank. "Yes I know what he did was wrong, but next time, just take it easy. Okay?" The Third smiled, Naurto would have returned it if he knew he was disingenuous.

"On a separate note," The Third shifted slightly in his seat, "we need to have a little talk about what has been going on with the Inuzuka clan members."

_Oh shit...now what?_ Naruto took in a deep breath. _Okay, what did they say this time? I did not do anything!_

"Look, whatever is happening between you and the Clan has got to stop. We-" Naruto launched into his defence.

"I have not done anything! They are the ones who start it, besides how the hell could I fight them when I have no abilities!"

"The word is 'had', not 'have'." The Third narrowed his eyes, he chewed on the end of his pipe. "You previously had no abilities but you do have abilities...understand?"Naruto had no clue what the Third was getting at, he nodded all the same.

"I am not defending the Inuzuka for their actions, but now that you have new life, there will be a new slate, okay? No grudges, and no revenge. You leave them alone, they leave you alone...got it?"

_So that is what this is about_, Naruto frowned,_ I did not actually consider revenge._

_**Liar! Liar! Liar!**_ The Darkness was like a nagging child.

_No! It's the truth it never actually slipped my mind._

"Naruto...got it?" The Third repeated. The more Naruto thought about it, the more the concept of paying back those pricks in the Inuzuka Clan seemed appealing; the late night vandalism, the constant jibes, the rabid dogs...Kiba's attacks at every turn, all of that repaid with interest. It nearly brought a smirk to Naruto's face.

_Still it probably would not work; I still have no idea of my limitations._

_**That is an easy question: You. Have. None.**_

"Naruto? Hello?" The Third raised his tone of voice. Naruto regarded the condition that was put before him.

_Only for the old man do I do this_. The Darkness did little to hide his displeasure.

_**Boring little shit.**_ Naruto sighed.

"Okay, as long as they hold up their end of the deal, fine." Naruto folded his arms, and gave a slight pout.

"They will." The Third relaxed back into his chair, he was almost certain that he got a very aggressive vibe coming from Naruto a second ago._ Nice to see Naruto is being sensible about this._

"Well that is that I suppose." The Third picked up Naruto's form and looked at it. "I suppose you better get down to the Academy as soon as possible, you will be assigned to a team."

"Great."

_Not great, who the hell are they going to partner me with? Who will be the senei? I am not a genius but I know that the parents of the village would not want me hanging around with their children._

The Third must be empathic because he knew exactly the answer to the question in Naruto's mind.

"Relax Naruto, you will do just fine. Good opportunity to make friends. Okay?" Truthfully, the Third ever since he left the hospital last night had been finding a team to put him on, most of the parents objections to Naruto, kept ruining his attempts to get all the teams together.

"Okay." Naruto slowly got up and walked to the door, he seemed a little more relaxed. "Thanks for everything old man." A mischievous smirk crept across his face as he quickly shut the door.

"Old man?" The Third hated being called that.

* * *

The Aburame Clan was located very close the village centre contrary to popular belief. Most people thought they lived in the houses on the outskirts of town but that is just a fallacy to further add to the rumour as to why they are so creepy. The overly proud Hyuuga clan is the only clan that takes any steps to isolate itself from everyone else. After all, the so called nobles don't like to associate with the common rabble.

There were four wide entrances with the kanji 'Aburame Clan' in plain letters at the top of every gate. Their housing is reminiscent of a beehive; organic looking, very close quarters and tight living spaces. Hanging by every roof is a massive hive filled with insects from every corner of the globe. The smell of fresh and sweet earth filled the senses of pedestrians who passed by the gates.

Anyone who glanced inside the Clan area would notice a strange and almost foreboding absence of clan members walking the streets, a behavioural quirk inherent to the Aburame Clan, doing things because they can is not Abrurame quality. At the very centre of the Clan area was a big block house, simply labelled as 'Main Clan House." It was noticeably taller and larger than the other houses but that was the only thing that distinguished it from its smaller counterparts.

It is uncommon for the Aburame to be invited as a guest into someone else's home, and rare for the Aburame to receive guests. Normally it would be appropriate to actually be invited into the homes, however the Aburame were not known for their creature comforts as such the Main Clan House doubled as a meeting area and a guest reception.

Inuzuka Tsume is the first guest they have had in their Main Clan House for nearly 3 months, normally the Aburame would go all out to try and make their guest feel comfortable, but she was not an ordinary guest, and her visit was certainly not social.

Aburame Clan head, Abruame Shibi along with several other high ranking members of the Abruame Clan sat in on the meeting, wearing near identical clothes, glasses and hairstyles. They were indulging Tsume's conjecture.

"What the fuck do you mean you don't care?" Shibi silently thanked his cousin, Makito for making the walls so thick otherwise the people on the street would hear Tsume's outrage.

"We have told you before," Shibi was casual in his response, "we have no interest in getting involved in the Uzamaki affair, rather we are trying to distance ourselves from it."

"That is absurd! Shibi, goddamn it why are you complacent in this? You know what he is just as well as I do!" Tsume was less than thrilled when she realised the Aburame Clan, the only other animal user in Konoha was unwilling to start up a coalition to get rid of Naruto.

"Incorrect, Tsume-sama." One of the other clan leaders, Aburame Rashon spoke up. Rashon was a newer leader and more open to unconventional styles of logic. "We have no idea what the Uzumaki child is and neither do you."

"Cut the crap Rashon, we know that the whole Aburame Clan avoids Naruto like the plague."

"True," Shibi commented, "we are...compelled to avoid any contact with the Uzumaki child, directly or indirectly, however we harbour no ill will towards him. He has of yet been neither unwilling nor unable to cause any problems for us, whether it be functionality or practically."

"On that note," a female voice spoke, a slender young woman, "even if he does cause problems, we would request and audience with the Third Hokage-sama like we did this morning." Tsume was about to sceam but held back.

"Wait. You met with the Third, this morning?"

"Yes," explained Shibi, "the death of Mizuki-san caused quite a stir in the village, it was a situation which was impossible to quarantine. Especially to us."

"At approximately 12:00 am, all the insects became...unpredictable and...unresponsive. It took us three and half hours to regain control." Rashon's tone was almost grim as if he was remembering something unpleasant.

_So_, Tsume found this news interesting, _it seems that the Aburame were affected by that kids...whatever the hell it was. Unusual for Aburame to have a hint of emotion...it must have been a total mess._

"Apart from the incident last night, we have had no issues since then." Shibi was still monotone with his explanation, however Tsume knew he was weighing his options. "We therefore see no need to join this...coalition you expressed. We are sorry." His tone indicated to Tsume that he did not care. Tsume disregarded it, Aburame are famous for seeming indifferent when they are far from it.

"You may not have issues now, but you will in the future. Something like Naruto cannot be controlled or contained.

"He is just a child, no older than my son." Shibi shifted slightly in his seat, and Tsume's eyes narrowed. To a layman, they would dismiss it, but for an Aburame Clan member that was a huge giveaway; this was starting to make them uncomfortable.

"You, me and everyone in this room knows that Naruto is anything but a child."

"You are both correct and incorrect," Rashon spoke up, "we have ascertained that are insects are reacting not to Naruto but something inside him."

"What is the difference? Whatever his blood line limit is, it's nothing but bad news." Tsume realised something was wrong the moment she said it, the Aburame clan leaders started to look at each other; Shibi even raised an eyebrow.

"Blood-line limit?" Shibi spoke, there was actual surprise in his voice, Tsume braced herself for what was coming. "You think this is some sort of blood-line limit, Tsume-sama?"

"What else could it be?" The Aburame obviously knew something that the Inuzuka Clan did not, and Tsume needed to know if she was going to orchestrate a defence.

"The Uzumaki child, like the Inuzuka Clan, the Aburame Clan and the Kyubi Jinchuuriki, is not one whole entity, but rather a mix of two separate identities. One is Naruto, the other is unknown."

"Two...identities?" Tsume cocked her head slightly to the side in confusion.

"Correct, we have preformed some experiments and looked over some research." Shibi referred to a small set of tightly wrapped document tucked under his arm. "We have concluded that the insects in our collective are reacting to the unknown entity that exists inside Naruto."

"An unknown entity? Well that friggin helps." Tsume rolled her eyes. "It's not like you to play games Shibi, spit it out!"

"We cannot 'spit it out', Tsume-sama. This is because we have not ascertained what the unknown entity is." Tsume could not help but guess that Shibi was narrowing his eyes. "We were actually hoping you knew what the unknown entity is and would explain it to us."

Tsume's was surprised. _So, this is why they have been silent up until now, they thought I was coming to tell them what Naruto was!_

"Obviously, you do not know." Shibi sighed under his robe, he was fatigued from the night before, as was everyone else from the Abruame Clan; even the children were restless in trying to keep their newly established hives in check.

"Well then," Tsume bit her lip, "if you know more than we do it would be greatly appreciated if you would hand over the information to-"

"No." Shibi did not even hesitate in his response, Tsume was starting to get annoyed as to how many people were interrupting her today.

"What do you mean 'no'? Shibi, give us a break here."

"We will not 'give you a break here'. The Inuzuka Clan's dislike of the Uzumaki child is obvious to all citizens of Konohagakure. We have no doubt that you would use the information we have discovered for your own purposes and the Uzumaki child's end. Even if you claim contrary to this we will not take the risk." Shibi straightened his back making him a little taller in height. "The Third Hokage left instructions not to interfere with the Uzumaki child's growth and we will obey those instructions."

"But-"

"To hand over the information to you would constitute a violation of his instructions and we shall be held accountable for your actions."

Tsume had enough of being lectured to about her intentions. _Fools all of you._ With a click of her shoes she marched out of the meeting area. Her hand rested on the door when Shibi spoke.

"However, we shall confirm one aspect of the unknown entity's characteristics." Tsume did a half turn to look at the Aburame. Shibi continued with a quiet cautious tone.

"Whatever assumptions you have of the Uzumaki child, this is fact: he is a host to this entity that is not identifiable or related to any historic, genetic, physical, mental or spiritual records we have researched and catalogued...and our catalogues are quite thorough."

"So what you are saying is that he is an unnatural freak of nature and the farthest thing from human. Tell me something I don't know." Tsume murmured.

"If you want to put it in such blatant words...correct." Shibi left with the rest of the Aburame leaders through a side door. "You are capable of showing yourself out, Tsume-sama." It was not a question, and with that they left.

Tsume gritted her teeth, the grinding of bone against bone. _God dammit! Now what?_ She slammed the door behind her. _Fucking Aburame, fence sitters the lot of them!_ Tsume walked down the isolated street pondering what to do now. She has made contact not just with the Aburame, but the Nara, Yamanaka and Akimichi Clan's, they all turned her down or were just as clueless as she was. Tsume knew better than contacting the Hyuuga Clan; they would just make a mess of it.

_Still, it does not matter, I have my own investigation occurring in the background. I will see what my agent gives me tonight. Until then I will try to get through to Kuromaru. _Tsume closed her eyes and prayed for the day to hurry along.

* * *

Naruto had never been inside the Ninja Academy before, he never felt comfortable even setting foot in the playground. Ignore the fact that he was shoved off by the bigger kids, claiming that he did not belong.

_But I belong here now...don't I?_

_**You have ALWAYS belonged here, Naruto. Oh yes, Naruto.**_

_That was not a question._

_**Yes it was.**_

_Not a question to you._ The Darkness curled around Naruto's mind making his spine shiver.

_**Be nice, Naruto. Be nice. Let's move. **_Naruto set foot inside the academy hall and it was not as interesting as he expected it to be. The entire interior was constructed from timber, there were no drapes hung up or weapons lying around. It just looked like a regular school. Naruto was expecting something more...flashy.

All the classroom doors were closed, and there were numbers on the doors and suddenly it occurred to Naruto.

_Dammit, I forgot to ask the old man which room it was!_

Naruto slowly walked down the hall, briefly glancing into every classroom, most of them were empty and the ones that were not were filled with students much younger than himself.

"Where is it? The Third is going to be ticked if I miss the team assignment."

"Hey, Naruto." Naruto turned around to see a boy around his age with a spiky hair, wearing a fishnet undershirt and a short jacket with his forehead protector worn around his left arm along with Nara Clan symbol on both of its sleeves and greyish, brown pants.

"...Shikamaru? Nara Shikamaru?" Naruto barely remembered who he was; he is a good friend of Akimichi Chouji and they have played a couple of times when they were younger but that was about it.

_Very strange guy, always bored. Nothing excites him._

"I heard that you are joining us today." Shikamaru walked along with his usual slouch in his step.

"How did you know that?"

"Are you kidding? News of your induction into the ninja system has spread like wild fire. You even skipped all the ninja training that we had to do...you bastard." Shikamaru seemed anything but upset he actually seemed...interested. "I heard you stopped our teacher Mizuki, that was amazing!"

"Yeah..." Naruto was not sure how much he was told, but the fact that Mizuki was left in pieces when he last saw him seems to have been contained...at least for now.

"Hey, Shikamaru where are y-Oh hey, Naruto! Long time no see!" Naruto glanced behind Shikamaru to see Chouji rounding the corner a packet of barbeque chips in his hands.

"Hi, Chouji! " Naruto had always like Chouiji, he was a jolly guy and was not afraid to share his food, except the last piece for some reason. Naruto hung out with him quite a lot in his free time.

"So you hear for the induction?" Choujo had a wide grin on his face. Naruto held up the smile as long as he could.

_Geez...does EVERYONE know? I thought this was a secret or something?_

"Yeah actually, do you know where it is? I think I am late." Naruto was eager to change the subject

"Not really, the meeting got pushed back by ten minutes." Naruto breathed a sigh of relief; he could not afford to screw this up.

"Great. Where is it?"

"Just over there." Shikamaru pointed to a door at the end of the hall.

"Nice." As they walked to the end of the hall, Chouji seemed to be enjoying his one of many snacks but Shikamaru was glancing at Naruto every now and then.

"What is the problem?" Naruto did not like being looked at like a museum exhibit.

"Nothing it's just...what happened out there?" Shikamaru head was cocked slightly, whether it was due to curiosity or his posture, Naruto could not tell. Chouji ears pricked up, though he maintained his steady eating pace.

"Out where?" Naruto knew damn well what he was talking about, but on the off chance...

"You know what I mean; your place in the hills."

_Damn...well at least the details are still fuzzy._

_**Tell them Naruto, tell them Mizuki was delicious. Tell them that they are next. Tell them that you can squash them like a bug! Tell Chouij that he is so fat that if he jumps for joy he will get stuck! HAHAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHAHA!**_

Naruto pinched the bridge of his nose; the stress of having something in his head that he cannot control is starting to take its toll.

"Naruto?" Shikamaru probed. Naruto stopped and focused on the matter at hand.

"Oh yeah..." Naruto wondered how to phrase his next sentence. "Some unexpected circumstances occurred."

"...like?" Shikarmaru raised an eyebrow. Naruto smiled Cheshire cat grin.

"You're going to have to find out...won't you." The Darkness seemed pleased with the cryptic response.

_**HAHAHAHA. Nice Naruto, VERY nice indeed.**_

Shikamaru's eyes drooped slightly. Chouji finished his packed of chips and reached into his pocket to pull out another, this time it was herb flaovoured chips.

"How troublesome." He sighed, Naruto laughed. All three of them stood out front of the door, Naruto was waiting for one of his companions to move first.

"After you." Chouji seemed relatively excited unlike his counterpart. Naruto gulped as he slowly put his hand on the handle, he could feel his pulse skyrocketing.

_Here we go._ With a quick yank he opened the classroom door.

* * *

Author's notes: Hey guys. New chapter coming soon. Thanks to toxinvictoria and Narilyte. Thank you to S'TarKan who influenced me with the Aburame Clan scene. I look forward to hearing from you guys soon. Recommendations and advice welcome.

Next Chapter: A Civil Scrutiny Part 3


	14. Chapter 13: A Civil Scrutiny Part 3

Disclaimer and stuff.

"hi"- normal talking

_hi- normal thinking_

**_hi- Darkness_**

_**"hi"- Darklings**_

_**

* * *

**_

_**Chapter 13- A Civil Scrutiny Part 3  
**_

_Whoa._ The entire classroom was filled with students, the students who graduated a few days earlier. They were scattered throughout the room, huddled in small groups.

"What team do you think we'll end up in?" said a boy taller than Naruto, with both arms wrapped in green cloth.

"I have no idea, but I would not mind being partnered with Ino...she's pretty." A smaller boy blushed.

"Maybe but I would not mind being on the Uchiha's team, even though he might outshine us by a mile." The other boys around him laughed in agreement. It seemed that similar conversations were developing around the room. What was going to happen? Who were there team mates going to be? Who was their sensei? Yet despite the casual air the students presented there was a sense of tension throughout the class.

"Hey come on Naruto, better take a seat." Shikamaru said, his eyes were beginning to droop, he started with Chouji in step.

"Come on Naruto, we'll share some chips." Like magic words, all conversations were ground to a halt. Everyone in the room turned to stare at the new ninja graduate, even the Uchiha who sat silently brooding in corner opened his eyes to observe Naruto.

_Well...shit. It seems we're famous._

_**Indeed we are, and rightly so. **_The Darkness swirled and scampered in excitement, it was having more fun than Naruto was.

_Try and keep it cool, do not cause trouble._ Naruto wiped the sweat from his palms and slowly began to walk towards an empty seat; two seats away from where Uchiha Sasuke was sitting, his eyes still fixed on Naruto, with a keen interest. As he walked past Naruto could hear a mixture of conversations and immediately Naruto understood his celebrity.

"Is that the guy?...Naruto...never heard of him, have you?...I heard this guy prevented the Scroll of Seals from being stolen...Really? Isn't just an ordinary guy...not a ninja?...that is what I heard...that thing last night...apparently he has some rare bloodline limit...what?...yeah, Mizuki was the thief I'm telling you...Naruto actually defeated him...no way...I was told he killed him...my father saw the incident where he lived, it was a war zone."

Naruto blocked the noise and just sat in his seat quietly, even though he could feel the eyes boring into him from every direction. The conversations continued for several minutes.

"I heard he skipped the graduate exam...what?...why that little...who the hell does he think he is...is he planning on going to war in that get up?...looks like a friggin' samurai...yeah apparently he was sworn right in after he prevented the Scrolls from being taken...unbelievable."

Naruto heaved a sigh and closed his eyes, it seems the topic of how Naruto came to be what he is now as opposed to last night was the only conversation for what seemed an eternity.

_Yeah this is going by swell._

"So it seems that mom was right, eh Akamaru?" Naruto snapped open his eyes, though honestly it was unnescessary, it was kind of obvious as who it was. "The freak finally steps into the light." Naruto saw Kiba stand in front of his desk, his small white dog sitting on top of his head.

_It is small_, Naruto regarded, there were very few occasions he had seen Kiba's companion Akamaru, normally it flees when Naruto approaches it, n_ever thought I would see it this up close. It looks so timid...unlike its master._

"What are you doing here freak? Aren't you supposed to be chopping wood?" Kiba chuckled at his own joke, despite its obvious lack of humour, Akamaru did not move, it looked like it was clinging onto Kiba's hood for dear life.

_Its frightened...of me?_ Naruto always knew that the Inuzuka clan dogs never liked him, but to see one react in his presence was...a little unnerving to say the least.

"What do you want, Kiba?"

"I want you to stay out of my way. You may have conned the rest of the village, even the Sandiame but we're on to you."

"Who is 'we'? Your Clan? I was told that we have truce." Naruto was confused, the Third would not lie.

"That may be true for now." Kiba gave a low growl and slowly moved towards the table to whisper something. "But once we get proof, we'll deal with you then."

"Whatever you say, Kiba, leave me alone." Naruto's indifference seemed to have struck a nerve.

"Are you dense?" Kiba's voice broke the room, drawing eyes from everyone. "Playing dumb won't help you. I know what you are! So does the Aburame Clan! Isn't that right, Shino?"

A tall genin on the other side of the class room answered Kiba's boast. He had dark bushy brown hair, pale skin sporting dark sunglasses and a sea-green jacket with a high, upturned collar.

"Please Kiba, don't put me in the middle of your conflicts." Shino resumed...whatever it was he was doing, Kiba gave wry smirk.

"Whatever..." Kiba started to leave to desk, a sense of pride in his voice. "The Inuzuka Clan will be watching you Naruto."Everyone was staring at the situation with anticipation; it was like they were hoping a fight would break out. Kiba walked away with a slight spry in there step towards Shino.

_Keep cool Naruto. Don't react, it will only work in their favour._

_**This is just delicious.**_ The Darkness was starting to relish this; it made Naruto sick to his stomach. _**Kiba's hatred is...delicious.**_

_Why are you so amused by this?_

_**You don't get the irony? Typical.**_

_What irony?_ The Darkness spoke like a game show host, speaking with a sense of a authority reminiscent of an entertainer.

_**The dog lover, Kiba came down here to flex his muscles. To show that the Inuzuka Clan has the balls to argue...to scare us, but it back-fired.**_

_How has it back fired? It sure made me nervous. _ Naruto felt slightly dazed, The Darkness swarmed his senses, and in the blackness of it all, Naruto was shown images.

Images of dogs being decapitated and their blood being fed to their puppies, burning down the kennels with fire so hot that Naruto could feel it, Tsume being eviscerated and having her hung from the tallest tower in Konoha using her entrails as rope, and Kiba being pounded into the dust and having the whole Clan; men, women and children, rounded up and being raped by creatures abominable until there was nothing left but red ooze.

_**The only argument that Kiba has but forward is that we should kill his clan.**_ Naruto paled, he pulled the brim of his hat down further to hide his face, doing the best he can to not throw up.

* * *

The primary meeting room is the only room in the main Konohagakure Administration Building that is capable of supporting a vast group of people outside a main clan house, normally it is reserved for welcoming delegates. However, every now and then it is used for internal matters such as organising chunin exams or in this case a sensei congregation. All the jounins who are to take charge of a 3 man genin team were required to meet with the Hokage to finalise the genin placements.

Normally it is a technicality as the teams were completed weeks ago, however this was a special case as anyone could imagine.

"It took several hours but I finally managed to get the team lists together...again." The Third has been working on where to put Naruto ever since it was determined he was to be a ninja. However, it seemed every time he thought he solved the problem, some parent or sensei would come in and launch the most...colourful objections. The Third had to change the list a total of fifteen times, however in this instance he received no complaints much to his relief; it was practically the last team available.

"It is nice to see a big turnout. Yet I am not surprised." The Third gazed at all the jounins in the room, it was noticeably bigger in number than previous years, even jounins that were not assigned genin were there, again the reason was obvious. They were more attentive than before as well, Asuma was not mulling over his next cigarette and even Kakashi was not reading one of his perverted books.

Despite his attempts to suppress the news about the events that occurred on Naruto's property and the demise of Mizuki, he had little time to work with; it was inevitable that the rest of the village would pick up.

_Then again, a boy that technically should not be alive suddenly manifesting abilities like being able to summon monsters from nothing and tearing a high level chunin into pieces is not something that happens every day._

"That group seems a little unbalanced, Naruto will only end up being a burden to the group." A jounin near the back seemed hesitant to speak yet chose to anyway.

"We will see what we will see." The Third was not in the mood to change the schedule again for the sixteenth time. The Third flicked his wrist and a crystal ball manifested with a puff of smoke.

"_Tōmegane no Jutsu._" A light was dancing inside the crystal and slowly the light was taking shape of the classroom with all the graduate students.

_I hope Naruto gets along well with the rest of them._

* * *

The room was relatively quiet except for the occasional voice that rose above a whisper. Naruto tilted his had forward to hide his blushing face. The conversations steered towards more 'normal' topics, but he could still hear the latest 'Naruto Origin's' theory pop up every now and then.

"I am telling you he must be some kind of weapon. Like the jinchūriki...Well considering we don't even know who the kyubi is, I suggest you shut up...You ever heard of someone spontaneously gaining powers for no reason?...I haven't..."

The door opened again to reveal two girls, one was Haruno Sakura, who he actually knew, the other was a girl who was unfamiliar, but judging from her long blonde hair and strangely bright blue eyes, she could be a Yamanaka Clan member. They were in the middle of a heated argument about coming first in a race, it was made all the more amusing by the fact they were out of breath.

"It seems I beat you again...Sakura." The blonde girl gulped in the air.

"Y-you wish. I easily beat you, Ino." Sakura stammered, she was in worse shape than 'Ino'; almost on the verge of collapsing.

_They're...enthusiastic._ Naruto smirked.

_**They're fucking nut jobs. You might want to stay away from them. **_The Darkness sounded more malicious than serious, Naruto figured it was just an attempt at humor...it needed work. Sakura stopped arguing and shifter her eyes in Naruto's direction, she seemed to have surprised look on her face.

Naruto was nonplussed, _well better than everyone else's reaction I suppose._ As she approached a broad smile crossed her face, her pace was rushed.

_Has she come to say 'hi'? That is nice of her. Maybe this is the chance to ask her out. I mean...I am a ninja...right?_

"H-hi Sakura, nice to s-ow!" Naruto's attempt at a greeting cut short by a rather powerful shove from Sakura rendered Naruto on the floor with his head slammed against another desk.

"Out of the way!..." Sakura's voice was harsh, only to be countered with opposite in the next sentence, "Hello Sasuke-kun! Can I sit next to you?" Between Naruto's rattling skull and dizziness, he found it remarkable how someone can switch personalities so quickly.

_What an insensitive bitch._ Naruto cradled his aching head. He could hear Kiba laughing in the background, which was only amplified worse by a rather smarmy Darkness.

_**I would hate to say I told you...but I would be lying. HAHAHA! I told you so! HAHAHAHAHAHA!**_

While Naruto lay there wondering what to do, all the girls were congregating around the desk chattering away.

"What?...Why should you sit to Sasuke-kun... I was here first...No, I was...Then why didn't you sit next to him?... This is unfair!...I want to sit next to him." They were starting to shove each other; the Uchiha seemed annoyed, as if the prospect of being desired was burden. From memory, the girls have always been like that around Sasuke ever since he entered the Academy.

_I don't blame him, if girls were like that around me, ALL the time...Like that is going to happen...I would be unwilling to go anywhere near them either after a while._

* * *

The Third looked over the situation, yet he was not the only one, all the other jounin's were observing intently, some were just looking at the students assigned to them but most were looking at the situation that was developing around Naruto.

"So that is Naruto-kun?" A woman with penetrating red eyes, curious about this new recruit.

"Yeah, Kurenai- san, that's him alright." Asuma could not wait any longer lit a cigarette, smoke circling him with every puff.

"What do you know about him, Hokage-sama?" Kurenai asked with interest, "There is a lot of rumour as to who he is." The Third continued to stare the boy in the crystal ball.

"Surprisingly there is not much to say. His name is Uzumaki Naruto, today is his twelfth birthday. His mother died in child birth and his father is unaccounted for. He is a good boy."

"Uzumaki...wait, isn't that the name of the main clan in Uzushiogakure? But that means-"

"Yes, he is probably the last of his clan."The entire room went so quiet if someone dropped a pin it would ring as loud as a bell.

"But that could mean-"

"That is enough Kurenai-san." The Third made it sound final, so Kurenai just shut up.

0000000000000000000000

"I don't care if you got here first, I made the first move so I get to sit next to him!" Sakura sounded triumphant about her argument, however as she prepared to sit down she felt a very strong hand grip her shoulder.

"What do you want you-" Sakura was ready fight tooth and nail for the opportunity to sit next to Sasuke only to face not any of the girls, but Uzumaki Naruto, his wide brim had held loosely in his other hand.

"Oh it's you." Sakura seemed jaded and some would say dismissive. "What do you want?"

"An apology for one." Naruto's tone was a little flaky as if he was not sure how to do this.

"What?"

"An apology, shoving someone out of their seat is extremely rude not to mention painful." All the girls were silenced by this, some were a little nervous, not many people would notice but a few started to shirk away to distance themselves from Naruto.

"You're annoying. Get your hands off me." Sakura slapped Naruto's hand off her shoulder and returned to get to the seat next to Sasuke.

"You know I actually pegged you as nice...how wrong was I." Sakura froze and everyone, Ino and even Sasuke stared at the rather bold Naruto. Chouji actually woke Shikamaru from a rather pleasant slumber to watch.

"What was that?" Sakura turned and glared at Naruto. Naruto's voice was flat and even, obviously he was too pissed off to actually care if what he was doing was right.

"You heard me. I thought you were nice...you're not." Naruto's bore into Sakura with renewed determination.

"What is to stop me from pummelling you, Naruto? What is with that ridiculous samurai outfit?"

"The same thing that stopped Mizuki from trying to kill me." Naruto was unsure as to whether he should have said that, good or bad, it had a unique affect, everyone stopped to look at a very tense faceoff between Sakura and the new graduate. Despite Sakura's aggression she was at least aware of something that was mentioned by her father about a boy defeating Mizuki. Only now did she realise that the boy was Naruto.

"By the by," Naruto continued, "this 'ridiculous samurai outfit' is my shinobi gear." Sakura stared at Naruto wide eyed.

_Naruto is now a ninja? A genin?_ Sakura almost expected then entire class to laugh, like it was some big joke, but no one did.

"I don't believe it."

"I really don't care what you believe; I just want you to apologize from booting me into a desk."

"Fine, I am sorry, alright?" Sakura seemed more interested in sitting next to Sasuke rather than dealing with the situation at hand. Naruto was tempted to push it further but decided against it.

"Not as sincere as I was hoping for but I'll take what I can get." Naruto took his original seat which was right next to the seat Sakura was sitting.

"You're not going to move?" Sakura seemed surprised; normally someone would move away after a confrontation like that.

"Why should I move because of an argument that you started?" Naruto did not even look at her, he just faced forward both hands fiddling with his hat on top of his on the table. Sakura turned a darker shade of red, not from embarrassment but anger. Whatever harsh retort Sakura was cooking was immediately cut short by the sound of the door opening.

Iruka walked in with his head up high. The scratches caused from the 'incident' the night before have been bandaged and he seemed to have a freshly made uniform on. Not surprising as the one he wore last night was hanging by the seams.

"Alright everyone, take your seats, take your seats." All the students shuffled along like sheep trying to find a space, once everyone was settled, Iruka surveyed the students with a sense of pride, he smiled when his eyes met Naruto's.

"Welcome everyone, glad you are all here." Iruka pulled out a small list from behind him. "I will now read the teams you will be put in. Team 1..."

* * *

Author's Notes:I apologise first of all if this chapter sounds like Sakura bashing, I am not trying to do that, nor is it my intention. It is just I needed a good way for the team to get together and this was the closest I could come up with.

Second, I was wondering if anyone could recommend a Beta reader to have a look at my stuff before I submit these stories.

Thirdly, does anyone speak Japanese. I need someone to help me translate some techniques I made up into ninja speak.

Take Care guys. Review or pm if you have questions or comments.


	15. Chapter 14: A Civil Scrutiny Part 4

"Hi" –Normal talking

_Hi_ – Normal thinking

"_**Hi"**_ – Darklings talking

_**Hi**_ – Darkness thinking

**Chapter 14 – A Civil Scrutiny Part 4 **

Back in the Hokage's office, nearly everyone in the meeting room blanched when Naruto made his reference to Mizuki, the Third actually nodded to several of the jounins to make a move to the Academy in case things turned ugly.

_It seems that there has been a slight personality change in Naruto, he is more aggressive. Could the power have gone to his head? _It did not matter as the situation defused by itself, whichthe Third took in with a sigh of relief.

Everyone in the meeting room was still staring at the crystal ball showing the events that were unfolding before them. Once a list was called, the students either left the classroom or one of the jounin's dashed off to go collect their new charges.

Although most of them were nonchalant there was a lot of focus on Naruto, apparently the issue about who he was and where he was from caught not only the interest for the students but the sensei's as well. They were trying to pry for the Third's attention as he was the only one who has known Naruto since he was a child.

"Hokage-sama, can you tell us anything about Naruto?"

"I promise you this; I know just as much as you do...perhaps even less so." The Third has in fact done a decent amount of research specifically Naruto's only known family. His mother Uzumaki Kushima was a known member of Uzushiogakure, and a powerful ninja with outstanding talents. Although both villages were on good terms, ever since the destruction of Uzushiogakure there had been relatively little contact or knowledge of the Uzumaki Clan, who have been practically wiped out.

The father on the other hand...The Third has been searching through documents, ledgers even making contact with a few sources from other villages...nothing.

_Not a damn thing._ The Third remembered conversations with Kushima and when the topic of the father came up, she always started to stammer and desperately changed the subject. Obviously, whoever the father was, it was someone whom she would rather forget.

_With the destruction of Uzushiogakure and the interest of someone like Danzo, I have no choice but to investigate. Danzo knows something, but how do I get it? He won't just give it to me._

"I recommend that we send a scouting party to search any records in Uzushiogakure," one of the newer jounins, a man named Jirkan, called out from the back, "they must have some details." Everyone perked up their ears, the Third himself narrowed his eyes.

"We cannot do that, Jirkan-san." Kakashi said, his tone very serious, so unlike the monotone nonchalant ninja we know.

"Why not, Kakashi-sempai?" The jounin seemed adamant, obviously unaware of the history and taboo of Uzushiogakure.

"Practically everyone who ventures there never comes back, they succumb to some sort of sickness and die, Uzushiogakure has been a forbidden zone devoid of all life for nearly twelve and a half years." Kakashi was quiet, his head tilted down in respect of the dead.

"I can't believe it." A jounin next to Jirkan whispered as quietly as he could, though with a room filled with ninja's with finetuned senses, he might as well have spoken aloud.

"Believe it," Kakashi shot back, "my partner, Rin is dead because of that fiasco." This rendered the entire room silent. Saratobi Asuma recalled the unfortunate story.

"An entire civilization was wiped out in a day, those that survived or took appropriate safety measures such as biohazard suits either disappeared or committed suicide...it is like the entire village went insane. To date, we still don't know what caused it." The Third nodded and filled in the rest of the details.

"How come we have never heard of this?" A few of the new jounin started to speak out.

"A Fourth Ninja war nearly developed because of it, yet no one claimed responsibility, no one was willing to fight over this. Small scouts from all nations were privately searching the area only to die or find just the dead scattered throughout the small island." The Third continued to stare at Naruto as he recounted the tale.

"Animals, plants and human life...all gone, left where they lay...unburied and unmourned. It was decided that the entire island would be sealed off, whatever happened would not be discovered until better safety measures are in place. Until then it remains under the carefully watch of Konohagakure, however nearly thirteen years have passed and we are none the wiser."

"That is why it is not safe to go there, Jirkan-san." Kakashi fumbled with his novel, he remembered quite clearly being ordered to go to that place a little over twelve years ago and it was a day that he would not forget. Jirkan blanched and shirked back into the small group of ninja mumbling something like an apology. The Third bit his lip as they all continued to watch the spectacle.

"Team 7:" Iruka continued to rattle off the list, "Uzumaki Naruto...Hanaro Sakura...and Uchiha Sasuke."

"What?" Naruto whispered, _I am with Sakura? Oh dear._ Naruto kept an open mind but Sakura was more obvious about her objections, she practically slammed her head on the desk. However, almost immediately she changed her attitude and gave a rather smug smile to Ino who sat in the row behind them.

_Did they have a bet or something?_ Naruto pondered.

"Team 8: Hyuuga Hinata...Inuzuka Kiba...Aburame Shino." Naruto raised an eyebrow.

_A Hyuuga? A very rare sight, I have only heard rumours about them, but to actually see one..._ Tales of the Hyuuga being the 'great and noble clan' of Konoha were legendary, but naturally like most clans in the village they were not that fond of Naruto, supposedly it's because their technique was useless on him; the apparent lack of anything resembling a chakra network made Naruto look like a dank empty shell.

Naruto looked around the room and only after carefully searching did he actually notice a small girl hiding in the back row. She had dark blue hair, fair skin and of course the classical white eyes, the trademark of the Hyuuga Clan. Her hair was in a hime-cut style, with chin-length strands framing her face. She wore a cream coloured hooded-jacket with a fire symbol on the upper right and left sleeves, and navy blue pants. She had an awful slouch and seemed to have a soft frown on her face like she was upset or nervous, she was very pretty though despite that.

_Hinata seems like a very nice person, I wonder if she is going to be okay with an asshole like Kiba._ Naruto was worried about her; although he was thrilled he was nowhere near that Inuzuka thug, he could not help but think that Hinata would suffer; maybe the Aburame is there to keep the peace. _Too bad, I think she and I would have got along well. _

_**Don't go feeling pity for that weak piece of cattle, Naruto, that will be your end.**_

_Hey, there is nothing wrong with having simple concern._

_**Yes there IS, Naruto.**_

_What is your problem? You got multiple personalities or something?_ It had been less than one day since he got the Darkness and already this 'gift' was already becoming more of a detriment than a benefit every passing minute, forgetting the fact that he cannot directly control the Darkness unless it wanted him to.

_**Have you got all day? I can list them out either alphabetically or chronologically.**_

Naruto shook his head and the Darkness chuckled to himself, Iruka read on.

"Team 9: Yamanaka Ino...Nara Shikamaru...Akimichi Chouji."

_Dammit, I wish I could have partnered with Chouji...oh well._ Naruto sighed, he got along well with the Akimichi Clan, they were always good to him, and the Nara Clan were decent too. The Yamanaka Clan took a very indifferent point of view of Naruto, mostly just ignoring him which was in itself infuriating.

"Are there any questions?" As soon as Iruka was comfortable with the ensuing silence he moved on. "That is the official genin list. Your jounin will come and collect you. Good luck everyone."

0000000000000000

It had been nearly one hour sense Iruka-sensei had left. Within half an hour, almost all the genin had been picked up by their respective jounin. The only people remaining were the recently formed Team 7.

_I must admit we are not exactly getting along._ Naruto noticed that Uchiha Sasuke had barely said two grunts the entire time. But that of course did not stop Hanuro Sakura from trying to, for lack of a better word, 'woo' the silent genin. In this entire process of waiting, Naruto was starting to go mad from anticipation.

_Where the hell is our jounin? _

_**He could be dead.**_

_How does that help us? _Naruto was growing irritated with the Darkness's rather useless and unhelpful comments.

_**You? Not much. I'll just find it hilarious.**_

_Yeah, yeah, I get it, you are a sadistic evil freak. No need to prove it._ Naruto was starting to grow restless from waiting, and his team-mates were not helping. Sakura was starting to jump from one foot to another. Sasuke was harder to read but by the look of his bone white knuckles he was getting flustered.

"Alright, am I the only one who thinks this is stupid?" Sakura's neck snapped to face Naruto, Sasuke's face was like stone. "We have waited well over an hour." Sakura narrowed her eyes and seemed to be contemplating an answer.

"True." Sakura was inclined to agree even though it was obvious that she didn't like Naruto interrupting her rather futile attempts to get Sasuke to go on a date with her. The Uchiha remained silent.

"Who is our jounin? Does anyone know?" Naruto was genuinely expecting an answer only to receive an uncomfortable silence. "Wait, you guys do not know who is assigned to you?"

"Of course we don't, you idiot! Why the hell would you assume something like that? We did not even know who we were going to be teamed up with until Iruka told us!" The tension of waiting was starting to anger Sakura, or she was being herself, Naruto could barely tell the difference.

"Yeesh" Naruto backed away. "Sorry. Just a question."

"I swear I don't know why we were partnered with you." Sakura may be tens, but that is no excuse for being rude.

The anger that manifested in Naruto was normally held back by the fear of reprisal, every time Naruto wanted to act his frustrations against the bully Kiba, he was automatically put in his place either by a punch to face or a scratch to the chest. Normally, Naruto had to just stand there and take it as if nothing had happened.

"Ummmm...what is wrong with the lights?" Sakura stared at the ceiling lights as they flickered in rapid succession, the electrical wiring groaning from some unknown pressure. While Sakura was wondering if there was an electrical surge, Sasuke paid very close attention to both blond in the black trench coat and the very angry look and clenched fists.

Although the Uchiha did not know how it happened, he knew that the electrical surge was not a coincidence. Naruto eyes darted from Sakura to Sasuke and upon his realisation that he was being scrutinised he loosened up his fists and as quickly as the lights started they quickly resumed to normal.

"Yo guys...what is going on?" Sakura turned to see a very tall fit looking ninja with spiky white hair, he wore a basic Konoha ninja uniform with a chunin vest. He had a mask covering the lower half of his face and his forehead proctor or "Hitai-ate" was oddly placed covering up his left eye.

"Who are you?" Sasuke eyes glared at their obviously late jounin. Sakura was stunned as she did not hear him come in, her attention still focused at the now still ceiling lights. Naruto scratched his head, trying to find a way to change the subject, he glanced at the newcomer.

"Are you our sensei?"

"...yeah. Sorry about that... Follow me to the roof, we'll talk there." The newly formed Team 7 slowly moved up the stairs, however Naruto noted that Sakura and Sasuke were keeping their distance from Naruto, staying as close to the sensei as possible.

_This new team of ours does not seem to like me too much._ Naruto could not figure out a way to deal with the newly formed Team 7, but he knew he would be damned if he was going back to chopping wood.

The rooftop was a training ground like the rest of the Academy. It was a place for solitude and concentration on techniques without unnecessary distraction. Two rows of trees line up in parallel with the Konohagakure monument in the area giving the place a very Zen feeling. Normally, the place was bustling with students training. However, in this case there were only three genin and one jounin. The three genin were sitting on the stairs with their jounin leaning against the railing in a nonchalant fashion. Naruto sat on the left of the small meeting, Sasuke sat in the middle and Sakura sat on the right...the far right. The distance that separated Naruto and Sakura was not lost on Sasuke or their jounin.

_So,_ Kakashi thought, _Sakura and Naruto are not on good terms already, this is going to be tougher than I thought._

"Well since we're all here I think it is best that you all introduce yourselves."

"Introduce ourselves?" Naruto was unaware of what team formations did upon being assigned; however it sounded like standard procedure.

"Tell us your name, your ambitions what you like and what you hate...stuff like that."

"Sensei?" Sakura had a very nervous look her eyes darted from the jounin to Sasuke. "Shouldn't you tell us who you are?"

"Me?" The jounin looked mildly surprised. "My name is Hatake Kakashi...I have no intention of telling you about what I like and dislike. As to ambitions...I have lots of hobbies."

"So all we have learned is his name...fantastic." Sakura's whisper was directed more to Sasuke than Naruto but the new genin nodded his head all the same.

"Now it's your turn. You first." Kakashi nodded towards Sakura, which seemed to brighten her mood.

"I'm Hanuro Sakura, I like...well, the person I like is..." Sakura face turned a bright shade of red, her green eyes continuously darted towards Sasuke and back down to the floor. "And my hobby is...well, my dream is to..." Sakura proceeded to let out a squeal of delight at the obvious thought of being Sasuke's girlfriend. Naruto just rolled his eyes while Sasuke just remained stoic.

_**Figures that my host would be stuck with the weirdos.**_ If the Darkness was a person it would have either rolled its eyes of done a face palm. Naruto shirked the snide thought away.

"..and what do you hate?"

"Naruto annoys me." Sakura voice was gruff and venomous.

_**Well, that settles that; Sakura has to go. Making it look like an accident is best; if she appears to have been murdered or just disappears they will blame you.**_

_We are not going to kill her... I just need to ask for a transfer._ Naruto could hardly say he was shocked but he expected a little more subtly.

_**Pfft...whatever. Just don't come crying to me when she becomes a liability.**_

Kakashi's right eye, the only part of his face left bare, displayed no emotion about what he just heard apart from a quick glance to Naruto.

"Mmm...not really enough detail Sakura. Care to try again?"

"Whaaaaaat?" Sakura seemed slightly incensed. "What about you? You did not really give us much to go on either, Kakashi-sensei."

"You'll get to know me along the way." Judging from the eye smile that Kakashi had, it was safe to assume that he was smirking under his mask. "Besides Sakura, who is in charge of this team?"

Sakura's face flushed a very deep shade of red, and her eyes darted to the floor.

"...you." Sakura mumbled.

"Exactly," Kakashi said, his voice was very level and relaxed, "so how about you try again before I pull rank. Cool?"

"...Okay. I like very cool drinks and the outdoors, I really hate it when..." Sakura gently rubbed her forehead, "when people call me 'forehead-chan', and when it comes to ambitions and dreams," the familiar blush returned to Sakura's cheeks, "...I...I wish to defeat and surpass Yamanaka Ino in all aspects."

"Hmm, much better. That wasn't so hard now was it?" Kakashi seemed more satisfied with her latest answer. Kakashi's eyes shifted to Sasuke. "Your turn."

"My name is Uchiha Sasuke..." The stoic ninja seemed to consider what he was going to say very carefully, Kakashi could see that he was running over what he was going to say repeatedly.

"I don't like many things but I do have a fondness for meat dishes. I like...check that, I need to get stronger and learn new techniques, anything that can be taught or learnt to help me achieve my goal."

"What is your goal?" Kakashi tried to make it light hearted, but he knew what Sasuke was going to say. _Maybe I should not have asked._

"The death of the man who murdered my family...and the revival of my clan." Sasuke's eyes glowed with a grim determination. "I will go anywhere, do anything, and make promises to anyone that can help me achieve that." Sasuke's vow rendered the entire group silent.

_**I hate to break it to you Naruto, but I think that you just might just be replaced by the emo guy as my favourite.**_

_Shut up...geez. For a statue he sure is intense. _Naruto could feel a chill crawl up his spine.

"..."Kakashi-sensei, closed his eyes and when he reopened it, Naruto could swear there was some sort of sombre expression on his face. Kakashi's eyes finally turned to the last member of Team 7.

"Well, it's your turn." Naruto could not help but feel that Kakashi's whole spiel of being more detailed in their introductions was just a smoke screen. The real purpose was for Naruto to loosen his tongue.

_**Whatever you do Naruto, do not tell them about us.**_ The Darkness pounded on Naruto's skull like a drunkard.

_Why? You seem more than comfortable exposing yourself._

_**That is when people are not looking for us. Your sensei is fishing for answers. Remember; loose lips sink ships.**_

Naruto mulled it over a few seconds before coming up with something to say.

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto, and I am sort of new to this whole ninja thing."

"I'll say! You didn't even have to take the basic ninja exam!" Naruto's patience with Sakura was all but spent.

"Hey!" Naruto snapped. "Why don't you go to-"

"Sakura! Be quiet. Everyone gets a turn." Their new leader quickly resolved the deadlock. "Naruto please continue."

_Ugh let's get this over with._ Naruto hurried as much as he could through his introduction.

"I like ramen, different kinds and flavours. What I hate, I really don't like the waiting period between cooking and eating ramen. I used to hate my old job, but that is no longer an issue. Who I hate on the other hand..." a brief image of Kiba crossed his mind, "that's another story. As for ambitions, well I would prefer not to go back to what I was."

"And what were you before?" Kakashi asked.

"A woodchopper and target for the more radical elements in the village."

Naruto realised it was kind of cliché to say something like that, but if his teammates are beating around the bush than so will he. Kakashi on the other hand tensed a little, he was obviously expecting something a little more revealing.

"Well...that was good Naruto." Kakashi seemed rather indifferent, however the slight narrowing of eye was sort of giveaway.

"Well team I have to say you are easily the most complex group of personalities I have encountered. But unfortunately it's not over yet."

"What do you mean?" Sakura queried.

"I mean survival training."

"Survival...training?" Naruto was incredulous. "What is survival training?"

"A test to see how well you cope under pressure...and how well you can 'survive' in combat."

"Wait! A test?...combat? What is this Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura seemed genuinely upset at this revelation. " I thought we did not have any more tests."

"You thought wrong. Those tests were just to determine whether or not you have the potential as genin. The real tests begin now...with a fail rate of 66%"

"That sounds made up." By the time he realised it, Naruto had already blurted out what he thought. All three of his colleagues gave a stare that made Naruto wish he could shrink to the size of an atom and be whisked away. "...sorry."

"Really Naruto, how long have you been, and I put this in the vaguest terms, a 'ninja'?"

"A day."

"Less than a day, actually. You should learn to respect your superiors. Now, you may have been given a free pass up to this stage, but you will receive no lenience from me. Got that?" Kakashi resumed his speech.

"As I was saying, this little test is to determine how you survive in combat situations."

"What is the criterion for this test?" Sasuke's demanding tone sounded.

_Straight down to business._ Naruto did his best to mask his smirk.

"We can discuss that tomorrow. Meet me at 6:00 in training ground three, and don't eat anything. You will throw up if you do." Kakashi brushed some dirt off his pant leg. "Dismissed."

Without a word the Uchiha got up and left, his hands in his pockets, and the pink hair girl swooning after him like lost puppy. Naruto could not help but huff as he saw the scene before him. However now was the time to ask Kakashi about the transfer. He approached the jounin who currently surveying the view with a bored expression.

"What's up Naruto?"

" Kakashi-sensei is it possible to get a transfer to another team?" With that Kakashi slowly turned to face the boy before him, his eyes narrowed.

"Why?" Their sensei's voice was as calm as silk. Naruto could hardly believe that a jounin of Konohagakure could be as dense as Kakashi let on. Pretending to be stupid is a powerful weapon, and a great way to drop the guard of those around you.

"Well it is apparent that Sakura does not care for me, my feelings or my position on this team, and I am pretty sure Sasuke is indifferent. Neither want me on this team, and I can assure you the feeling is mutual. A transfer seems like the easiest method to resolve this problem."

Kakashi regarded the blonde with careful observation as opposed to the slightly droopy eye he has been carrying since they first met. Naruto could not make heads or tails of what he was thinking.

"Naruto, let me be frank." Kakashi leaned against the rail, his arms folded. "Your sudden leap into the ninja world has caused quite a stir in Konohagakure. You are for lack of a better term 'the flavour of the month.'"

"But-"

"Let me finish." Kakashi's voice took a more stern tone. "I know it is difficult to understand, especially considering this is not your fault. In the end, you are not like everyone else; you are not an average person and whatever you were previously, you are certainly not helpless." Kakashi's eye narrowed. "I read the report and saw the aftermath. I know what happened to Mizuki."

"That was not my fault!" Naruto did not need his sensei to be added to the list of people that are against Naruto. "That was-!"

"I said I know that was not your fault Naruto. Believe me I know."

_**He lies. Don't listen to him.**_ Naruto shook out the voice that whispered to him.

"However not everyone has kept an open mind. A lot of people are sacred of you. That is the sorry truth...but nonetheless it is the truth." Kakashi placed a hand on the blonde's shoulder. "Parents do not want you to be partnered with their children nor do they want you taught in the Academy, this was the only place we could fit you."

Naruto tilted his head downwards in disappointment. _What have I gotten myself into?_

"You can call me a liar if you want, I would be more than happy to let you take this up with the Third. I promise I won't hold any grudge. Bottom line, you have only one place left to go, and that is back to what you did before you became a genin." Kakashi did not have to elaborate, he knew exactly what that meant.

_Chopping wood, and having no future._ Naruto mulled it over realising that he had no choice at all.

"As Sakura pointed out, you did not even have to take the entrance exam, but we know that taking down Mizuki is no small feat. If anything, you should be a chunin." Kakashi gave a little chuckle. "So don't sell yourself short, you have unlimited potential."

_**For once I agree.**_

"Besides part of being a genin is learning about trusting and working with other people, especially people you don't like them so how about you give this another shot before you start thinking about leaving the team."

"...okay." Although he could not explain it he felt a little more comfortable around the strange jounin.

"I'll see you tomorrow. Don't forget 6:00 am, training ground three."

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"Well that was relatively painless." Naruto walked down the dimly lit stairwell.

"_**I'll say."**_ Naruto spun around to see Frutz staring at him with a bemused look on his face sitting on the guard rail. A couple of Darklings manifested next to the stairs above and below their current level.

"What are you doing here? I thought you couldn't manifest during the day."

"_**We cannot manifest in light especially natural and strong bright light. But a dimly lit stairwell..."**_ Frutz gestured at their surroundings _**"...we can handle."**_

"Someone could see you, if they walk in, the game is up." Frutz waved a hand.

"_**Nobody is going to come in Boss, relax."**_ Naruto paused as he reflected on today's events.

"So what do I do now?" Naruto queried.

"_**Now?"**_ Frutz toothy smile stretched quite literally from ear to ear._** "Well you're the boss, Boss. What do you want to do?"**_

"I don't know anything about being a ninja, unless that amounted to me chopping wood." Naruto mumbled to himself. "I am not so sure about this team though, you?"

Frutz shrugged in a nonchalant matter. _**"We are only sure about what you are sure about, Boss."**_

Naruto frowned at the little Darkling's response. "So what do you think I should do?"

"_**We will do what you want us to do, Boss."**_ Frutz was picking at his teeth like he was searching for something. "

"You're not being very helpful."

"_**If someone got in your way we would gladly turn him into a goon kebab for you, Boss. But the big decisions are up to you."**_

"I have been moved up the chain in one day when it takes most kids at least 5 years training. By qualified professionals no less."

"_**Hmm."**_

"Bottom line, I cannot just rely on you guys the whole time, especially in the day. No offence." Frutz just nodded in understanding. "I need a crash course in being a ninja."

"_**Not bad, Boss."**_ One of the Darklings called out.

"And this survival training that Kakashi-sensei was talking about, something does not add up."

"_**I admit I have never heard of a test like this before. So what are you going to do?"**_

Inside Naruto's mind a whole series of questions and answers were zooming around his mind. "Boys, we are going to the library. Time to hit the books."

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Author's Notes:

Hey fellas. Been a long time. Lot of issues at home and I have been travelling. I am hoping to get back into the swing of things. Please let me know of any ideas.

I would like to give a special thank you to 'A Bitter Pill' who has helped me along the way.

Review and PM. Take care


	16. Chapter 15: The Studying

"Hi" – Talking normal

_Hi – Thoughts normal_

_**Hi – Darkness (in Naruto's mind)**_

"_**Hi" - Darklings**_

Well people, here is the latest chapter. I must mention that I realise that I am using Australian spelling rather than American but hey that is what my computer is set on.

A special thank you to my beta – ABitterPill. Thanks also to Dylan Millwood, narutorastard and CMR Rosa for their discussion and inspiration.

_**Chapter 15 - The Studying, Training and Fighting Centre**_

The Konohagakure Public Records Centre is the primary research and record holding facility in the village and one of the more renowned libraries in the Fire Country. However due to the nature of the village and the contents of the library it has a certain exclusivity about it. In order to get in you are required to be a practicing shinobi from Konohagakure or alternatively if you are from a foreign ninja you must have an authorised signature from the Hokage's office.

Borrowing was strictly forbidden unless you happen to be Konohagkure shinobi of a minimum rank of chunin. Getting in and getting out of the Konohagakure Public Records Centre is a tedious process, getting tagged, logged and searched. Consequently, once you get in, a whole world of knowledge awaits, medical research, art, novels, case law, and indeed histories of famous battles stretching back as far the beginnings of the Five Great Nations and beyond.

However, it contains more than just books and research, it is a library in a village filled with ninja after all. It also held techniques that have been recorded since the foundation of the village, specialised books on tactics, blueprints of sealing techniques and also kept the Shodai Hokage's Scroll of Seals, one of the more rare artefacts in the labyrinth.

But when Uzumaki Naruto walked in he was not looking for techniques, but rather information specifically past tests and exams and more importantly a profile on his new sensei, Hatake Kakashi. Naruto was quite content with just studying the main lobby however he received nothing but strange looks, stares of curiosity from people who wondered how a civilian got into the library, others were stares of concern, no doubt from those who have heard of the incident in the hills near his house.

After ordering a private room, Naruto gathered up scrolls, books and other tomes by the armful into his little private study. After dumping about 20 books unceremoniously on the floor he got to work...but not before he turned out the lights.

As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he could clearly make out several Darklings manifesting out the shadows.

"_**So Boss, what is this all –ooph!"**_ One Darkling found a book tossed at its head.

"Sorry." Naruto said sheepishly. "We need to get this done."

"_**Get what done?"**_ Another Darkling questioned as it picked up a nearby book. _**"Make paper aeroplanes?"**_

"No." Naruto sat down at the desk in the centre of the study. "We need to know what kind of test Kakashi-sensei is going to give us and I have to find out before tomorrow. And I need your-"

"_**Waitwaitwaitwaitwaitwait...you want us to study? Seriously?" **_The Darklings stared at each other in dismay.

"_**Hey when was the last time we read anything?"**_

"_**Well there was that cookbook 20 years ago. We were trying to find a way to perfectly cook some moron's liver."**_

"_**HA! Awww man, those were good times."**_

"Listen guys, enough of this." Naruto broke what would have been an inevitable chain of prattle and insults which probably would have resulted in Naruto being kicked out of the Centre.

"_**Fine, fine no need to be uptight about it, Boss."**_ Frutz manifested behind the small convoy of Darklings, automatically taking the reins. _**"Alright boys, you heard the Boss, grab a book and get to reading."**_

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"_**Hey Dren, what does the 'mullah oblooongata' mean?"**_ A Darkling named Xran asked, staring at the page before it, brow furrowed in such a way that reminded Naruto of folds in a blanket.

A rather small Darkling reminiscent of the stereotypical 'smart guy' complete with bottle thick glasses and pens in his breast pocket approached Xran and stared at the word that Xran was querying.

"_**The word is 'medulla oblongata' and it is the primal centre of the back cortex."**_ Dren said with a slight smug tone, however Xran seemed more confused than before the explanation. _**"It is that bit near the spinal cord."**_ Dren sighed. _**"You know the one that tastes strangely like shish kebab."**_

"_**Ah of course."**_

"What are you reading?" Naruto stared up from the book titled 'Academy Initiation Standard Level 1'.

"_**Ummm...it is called 'Basic Anatomy Test – Academy Entrant.'"**_

A rather large Darkling huddled itself in the corner of the study searching through the 'Jounin list' which contained the name and basic details of all Jounin operating in Konohagakure, the Darkling reached the height of the ceiling and with hands so big that it had difficulty holding its research in its fingers much less its hands.

"_**Well, I have ploughed through this book twice and there is no mention of this 'Hatake Kakashi'."**_

"_**What?"**_ Xran was incredulous, walked up to the giant Darkling snatching the book from its gigantic grasp. _**"Gimme that, you must have missed it." **_

"_**Hey Xran, don't give me your crap." **_The giant Darkling protested as Xran quickly scrolled through every page.

"_**See here it is...huh I can understand why you missed it, it is barely two lines long."**_ Xran said. _**"It just says he passed the genin exam a little under 14 years ago after that it is just blank."**_

"_**Nothing after genin huh."**_ Everyone turned to the recent Darkling that slithered from who-knows-where, Naruto remembered him from last night, the blue eyed Darkling, Goldbrick. _**"I remember something similar in Iwakagure.**_ _**That usually means ANBU grabbed him."**_

"_**I agree."**_ Dren said as he readjusted his glasses. _**"It is a default tac-"**_

"_**Shut up, nerd."**_ Goldbrick spat. Naruto sighed in disappointment. How was he going to find out about the test if he knows nothing about his sensei?

"Does it have his teacher? The one that looked after him while he was genin." Naruto queried.

"_**It does actually."**_ Xran peered back into the book. _**"It was...whoa. A real big shot...but that is bloody favouritism."**_

"Who? What is wrong?"

"_**Check this, Boss and you are not going to believe it, but he was taught by his own father Hatake Sakumo aka White Fang, but you would better know him as the fucking Yondaime Hokage."**_

Naruto raised his eyebrows in surprise. The Yondaime could cut through hundreds of opponents to get to one target. The man who was willing to sacrifice the mission for his men and the person who single-handledly took down the Kyuubi no Yoko, although admittedly at the cost of his own life.

"His father was the Hokage and his sensei, huh? I did not see the resemblance, but then again with that mask covering his face he could be related to anyone."

"_**Oh please, I suppose if the man's father had a reputation like that, I would be ashamed if I could never live up to it."**_ Frutz chuckled.

"_**At least we are getting somewhere, what does the book say about the Yondaime?"**_ Goldbrick slowly slithered around the room, doing the snake-equivalent of pacing.

"_**Uh...born whenever, blah blah blah, victory at the Devil's Bridge blah blah yadda yadda yadda...oh wait 'trained by Saratobi Hiruzen, Sandaime Hokage.'"**_

"Wait, the old man's name is Hiruzen? Well you learn something new every day." Naruto had never thought to ask the name of the man who had looked after him most of his life. He could not helpbut feel ashamed at his ignorance.

"_**Focus Boss. What have we got here...ah here we go,"**_ Xran rattled off quotations in the book in a dull tone, _**"Saratobi Hiruzen was trained by the Shodaime and Nidaime Hokages respectively...well known for who-the-fuck-cares and...ah... 'the Sandaime has made several contributions to education, in particular he created the 'Bell test'."**_ With that Xran closed the book and threw it to the ground in victory while delivering a pelvic thrust into the air while grunting.

"That is a good point but what would guarantee that he would use that test?"

"_**Nothing,"**_ Dren mused, _**"but then again what would guarantee he would not use that test? Besides, this Kakashi strikes me as unimaginative, he would not think too hard about coming up with something original, no it is the 'Bell Test'."**_

"Point." Naruto sighed with relief, they finally made headway. "So does anyone have any idea about this 'Bell Test'?" The Darklings quickly flicked through the books on the table and floor checking the book titles and indexes; each one gave a negative shake of the head.

"Not here. Well there may be a spare book on training techniques that I missed, I'll find it."

"_**Do that Boss, we'll wait right here."**_ Frutz smiled in a rather creepy fashion. Naruto walked to the door and as he opened he was became blinded by the light from the other side of the room, the Darklings quickly ducked behind the table or jumped onto the ceiling. "Sorry guys, oh and by the by..." Naruto trailed off.

"_**...Yes Boss?"**_ Frutz spoke in a soft voice.

"Thanks for everything." Naruto felt he was going to blush so he quickly shut the door behind him.

As the Darklings settled back into place waiting for their master, Dren gave a foul look to Frutz.

"_**Frutz, why did you deceive the Boss? You are holding the book right in your hand." **_Dren point accusingly at Frutz's hand which he put behind his back to shield it from view.

Frutz continued picking at his teeth, nodding at a nearby Darkling who immediately ran to the door and peered under it looking for any sign of someone approaching the study.

"_**A few of the Darklings here wanted to get some private time from the Boss, to voice their...concerns. Isn't that right Goldbrick?"**_

"_**Fuck yes I have concerns."**_ Goldbrick steamed. _**"What is wrong with this bratty kid?"**_ A few of the Darklings shuffled uncomfortably at the derogatory name calling of their master but remained silent.

"_**Oh don't go pretending that I am the only one worrying here. Naruto has been gifted with the power of the Darkness and what does he squander it on? Fucking books!"**_ Goldbrick tapped one of the books on the desk. _**"And more importantly, what is this apprehension to killing? I mean granted we are not being forceful in our arguments but that is because his predecessors did not need much of a shove in that direction."**_

A few of the Darklings scattered around the room nodded in agreement, even the big one grunted in approval. _**"I don't know about you guys, but I need killing. I friggin love killing, and as you know, it is what I am good at. Same as all of you, even you Dren despite the fact you are a nerd."**_ Dren huffed at the jibe, again readjusting his glasses but did not object to the statement.

"_**Need I remind you fellas that killing is why we were made? Xran how many people did we kill with Naruto's predecessor on the first day? Huh? 167 sound right?"**_ Goldbrick fumed.

"_**Yeah."**_ Xran nodded in agreement. _**"And his predecessor's first day was about 82 and the predecessor before that was 90, we get it, we are having a slow day."**_

"_**But be careful Goldbrick, this conversation is growing into something treasonous. You know what happens to those who stand against the Boss."**_ One of the other Darklings chimed in.

"_**I am not standing against him, I am however wondering where it all went wrong." **_Goldbrick through his hands in the air and gestured to our surroundings._** "We had such a good thing going and now this idiot comes in and screws it up."**_

"_**That's enough, Goldbrick."**_ All the creatures in the room turned to stare to the objector; the green-eyed Frutz. _**"Anyone else?"**_

"_**The Boss said 'thank you'."**_ The giant Darkling in the corner piped up. _**"No predecessor has ever said 'thank you' to us. Ever."**_

The Darklings muttered in agreement, the predecessors were all for lack of better term 'mean little shits'. Then Naruto comes along with etiquette, manners and a restraint that the Darklings have never encountered in a Darkness inheritor. Frankly, it was unsettling, and who could blame them, who didn't love maiming little children and killing people in the most casual way possible?

"_**Look at us, we sound like whining children."**_ Frutz said. _**"In case you have forgotten, we are Darklings; masters of the shadows and the nightmares of children made manifest. It is not our job to question nor to ponder but rather to ensure the survival and protection of the Darkness Inheritor; to help him grow into a being of pure power or whatever he may desire."**_

"_**But what about our strength and power?" **_Dren enquired. _**"Naruto is lacking greatly in his ability to fuel our strength . How can we help him if he cannot help us, help him?"**_

"_**We gain our power through the inheritors imagination, blood thirst and intelligence...so we are not as strong now as we would like."**_ Frutz chuckled to himself_**. "But need we forget that we have always been weak at the start?"**_

Frutz surveyed the Darklings in the room who hung on his every word, even Goldbrick was paying attention, albeit reluctantly. _**"Now I do agree with you Goldbrick that the Boss is indeed an outlier in comparison with his predecessors, however that is not our concern. Need I remind you that Naruto's authority as the Boss is simply without question? The only thing that trumps that is the Darkness itself."**_

The Darklings were aware of the Darkness and its uncompromising principles in regards to carnage. _**"The Darkness does not have to, nor does it need to share its plans with us or the Boss and will not interfere unless absolutely necessary."**_ Frutz continued. _**"And while the Boss does have authority over his own destiny, the Darkness has the power to 'pull rank' if required."**_

"_**So what do we do?"**_ Goldbrick queried.

"_**Goldbrick, you unpleasant excuse of a gelatinous bucket of sick,"**_ Frutz emerald eyes narrowed on the blue-eyed Darkling, _**"we are going to follow the Boss's orders and we will protect him to the end. We will continue to do so unless the Darkness itself assumes control or a new inheritor comes into power. If anyone of you maggots brings up this conversation again, you will be Requisitioned back to Darkness so help me."**_

The Darklings shuddered, even Frutz frowned when he said it; 'Requisition' was an unpleasant way of saying you will have to go back to the Darkness itself. It was the worst fate imaginable for anything and anyone and it is the only thing that would effectively kill Darklings. The demonic creatures had seen and done horrible things in their existence, they feared nothing and no one...except the very thing that created them, which had seen, done and created even more horrible things.

The Darkling near the door broke into a panic. _**"Hey guys! Someone is coming...it's the Boss. You have to wrap it up and I mean now!" **_

Frutz gave a solid not. _**"Well, that's it. Now I don't want this issue brought up gain...and on a personal note, I have been serving Darkness inheritors for nearly 6,000 years along with the rest of you, and I must say that I really enjoy the change of pace this Boss will offer us. If anything it is different to what we are used to."**_

As Darklings heard the click of the door knob turning, they quickly huddled around the room to avoid being hit by the light on the outside. Naruto quickly came in and shut the door behind him with a frown on his face.

"Hey guys I checked and we took all the books regarding training and educational methods that have not been checked out."

"_**Well Boss,"**_ Frutz coughed, _**"this one fell behind the desk and we found it while you were out."**_

Naruto frown lessened as he took the book from the little creature with green eyes. With a brief moment's hesitation he stared at the cover title; 'Genin Training Tactics.' He flocked through the index and quickly found what he was looking for.

"_**Well, what does it say Boss?"**_

"The 'Bell Test' is a teamwork test disguised as a survival training exercise; the nature of the training exercise is left at the managing sensei's discretion. The 'Bell Test' is intended to foster a sense of teamwork and camaraderie amongst a genin team, by pitting them against a challenge or common enemy usually which will be played by the sensei, while at the same time creating internal conflict amongst themselves."

"In order for the 'Bell Test' to function, it requires a minimum of two people however for maximum effectiveness there must be a minimum of three participants. Whatever the number of participants, the sensei must have an equal number of bells minus a minimum of one bell.

"In order to foster the nature of the internal conflict, the sensei must specify that the failure to obtain a bell will result in a form of consequence, again the nature of the consequence of is left to the sensei's discretion, however it is normally a form of humiliation, failure or physical discomfort or all of the above."

"The main principle behind the test is to force genin in working together despite a guarantee of at least one person not succeeding in the mission. If teamwork is used then the purpose of the 'Bell Test' has been satisfied regardless of whether the bells have been retrieved by the sensei. If teamwork is not used then the purpose of the 'Bell Test' is not satisfied and the participants of the exam fail, regardless of whether the bells have been retrieved by the genin."

"_**Okay, so this 'Bell Test' is an exercise in working together huh? The sensei is the enemy in this test."**_ One of the Darklings jeered.

"_**Wait that means, you have to work with the Uchiha? That Sakura girl too?"**_ Xran seemed incensed.

"_**Hate to break it to you, Boss, but it sucks to be you right now."**_ Goldbrick patted Naruto on the shoulder. Naruto frowned deeply; Sasuke is not the kind to neither ask for help nor accept help, Sakura...maybe if the stars were aligned...and Hokage commanded it.

"They won't question us if they see this book." Naruto tapped the book in his hands.

"_**Us?"**_

"I can't very well do this by myself." Naruto's eyes narrowed.

"_**Hate to break it to you, Boss but this test is going to be done during the day, we can't help you in daylight."**_

"But how am I going to do this test without your help." Naruto stared at the Darklings who seemed as concerned if not more so than himself. The Darklings do not like it when their masters are going into a fight alone, especially when their master was just recently crowned, however they did not have much of a choice.

"_**We will back you up if we can, until then; you are unfortunately going to have to rely on these new teammates of yours."**_ Dren spoke slowly and carefully. It is never easy to answer the ultimate question that had plagued the Darklings for eons, how can they help the Boss in daylight?

"_**Back to that issue of them believing you."**_ Frutz quickly crawled along the desk and took the book out of Naruto's hands. _**"That will be taken care of."**_ Frutz reached for Naruto's pocket and dropped the book in. Naruto felt a brief weight in his pocket before it promptly vanished to who-knows-where.

"Just like the kunai. Isn't this stealing?"

"_**Right you are Boss so, don't tell anyone."**_ Frutz had a mischievous smile on his face. "_**Now let us get out of her before. I think Dren the nerd is starting to enjoy it here."**_

"_**Hey shut up, Frutz!"**_ Dren snapped.

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As Naruto walked out the library, he had this worrying suspicion that he would get caught but the chunin at the library were none the wiser. He noticed the sky lost its blue hue and took a deep orange colour; dusk. That meant a few hours had slipped by. _Wow, time sure has flown._

"Almost night time." Naruto started the trek back to his place in the hills.

As Naruto walked through the village streets, he noticed a strange absence of people. Granted it was closing time for most businesses, but Konohagakure had a rather lively night life, in fact he could usually see the bustle of people from his house in the hills. Yet there was not many people out, he turned down one of the streets to see a young couple in their twenties fawning over each other, must have been their third date.

The boyfriend who dressed in chunin attire made eye contact with Naruto and for a brief second he caught a glimpse of something, it wasn't apprehension, but a flicker of worry and dare Naruto think it...fear?

_That is a surprise._

Fear was not something that the villagers felt towards him, contempt maybe, curiosity also, but not fear. After all Naruto had no skills and no abilities to speak of, he wasn't a threat, unless you asked the Inuzuka for their opinion. Then the 'Mizuki fiasco' happened and everyone freaks out.

Naruto had to go about it practically; the villagers were dickish but they were not vindictive nor were they cruel (again except the Inuzuka), most would just prefer not deal with Naruto. However there were exceptions to the general populace; the Sandaime which Naruto now knew as Hiruzen, Iruka, Mimiki and most of the Akimichi clan were very decent and incredibly nice to him.

"Hey Naruto!" Naruto turned and smiled, he saw Iruka and Mimiki walking down the opposite end of a side street.

_Speak of the devil..._ He felt the Darkness grow giddy at the saying but remained silent.

"Mimiki...Iruka..." Naruto's smile lessened when he saw the scratches along Iruka face, he wore a new chunin jacket which obviously replaced one which Naruto clearly remembered was hanging by the seams.

"Great seeing you Naruto." Mimiki chirped, Naruto was surprised to see her out of her medical coat in more social attire, he recently decided that she practically lived in the damn thing.

"Nice seeing you...too." It was nice to see Mimiki, but it hurt Naruto to see Iruka still suffering from wounds, wounds that he inflicted. Although Naruto prayed it would not be so, he would not be surprised if Iruka thought less of him, he had been so nice to him.

"Well Naruto, so are you ready?" Iruka's smile was free and natural. Naruto's brow furrowed inwards

"Ready? For what?"

"Well I did say to take you out to ramen, and it IS your birthday." Naruto blinked in surprise, it was still October 10th. _What a day._

"But..."

"No 'but' Naruto, it is our treat." Mimiki walked beside Naruto and gently placed her hands on his shoulders and guided him to his most predictably favourite ramen shop Ichikaru Ramen.

Naruto order miso ramen and all the trimmings while Iruka and Mimiki had the tonkotsu ramen. It was nice to celebrate the occasion and Naruto could think of few things better than to celebrate it with Iruka and Mimiki. Bring in the Sandaime and it would have been perfect. As Naruto had his ramen he could not help but steal glances at Iruka, the small bandages wrapping the fresh cuts along his face.

"Hey Iruka, I just wanted to apologise about what happened last night. I hope you-"

"Hey Naruto, I'm fine. Seriously." Iruka gave a reassuring slap on the back. "I should be apologising to you; I should have known that Mizuki was rotten." Iruka frowned when he said that, Mizuki was a good friend but he turned out to be treacherous in the end. He had pulled the wool over everyone's eyes, or maybe Iruka did not want to see what his comrade truly was. The ninja business is a lonely one, ask any veteran.

"So how did you and Mimiki meet?" Naruto could not recall every seeing the two together before.

"He came in with the...injuries. I was the one who dressed him up." Mimiki smiled nonchalantly.

"I never did thank you for that." Iruka smiled nervously, letting himself blush a little. Naruto stared between the two and he smirked; he did not have to be smart to know where this was going.

"So are you going to take her out on a date?" Naruto laughed when Iruka started to choke on the ramen noodles. It got bad enough that Teuchi the store's owner had to grab him a glass of water.

"What?" Iruka face was completely red, but whether it was from embarrassment or nearly choking to death, only Iruka knew. Naruto could hear Mimiki giggle in the corner.

"I didn't mean to pry, just asking. You seem to like each other well enough, right Mimiki?" Naruto received a light smack across the head from Mimiki whose on face was starting to heat up; the only difference was that she maintained enough composure to keep smiling. "And you think she is pretty don't you Iruka?" Naruto received a noticeably harder smack across the head from Iruka.

"Naruto- why- y-you...eat your ramen." Iruka slowly stirred the bowl with his chopsticks. Teuchi couldn't help but snigger as he went into the kitchen keeping out of his favourite client's attempt at matchmaking.

"We should do this more often." Mimiki gave Iruka a simple pat on the back all the while giving Naruto a rather bemused smile.

"Good times."

00000000000000000000000

Inuzuka Tsume hated politics and secrecy. She never liked having a seat on the council and she never like having to censor herself in front of people who obviously irritated her. She just liked the simple life of being a jounin: go on missions, complete missions, fight people who need to be fought, go home. However as the saying goes, 'when in Konoha...'. When she was alone from her clan and family she could not help but feel as if it was a bad idea to take the position of 'Alpha's proctor', but she was forced into this position and now she could not back out, not when the clan need her most.

Tsume walked along the dank forest floor well outside the borders of the city. She was running late and the person who she was meeting was unpredictable enough that it was dangerous to keep him waiting any longer. Tsume wished she could do this in Inuzuka Main Clan house with Kuromaru at her side, but she could not afford to have her companion with her. Not tonight.

She went to the designated meeting spot to wait for her contact. As she suspected he was already there and was getting antsy. Tsume's contact was hiding in the shadows at the base of a tree, crouching on all fours in a manner reminiscent of a canine.

"Well, well, well I was beginning to think you weren't gonna show Tsume-san...almost tempted to visit you at home." The shadow whispered, his deep voice sounded groggy and sickly. Tsume's face pruned when she smelt strong pepper and coffee emanating from the shadow.

"You wouldn't get within 100 meters of the main house and you know it."

"...maybe." The figure was starting to crawl out of the shadows.

"Don't." The figure froze. "Stay where you are. I don't want to be seen with you." Tsume growled, venom in her voice.

"Really? Then why did you call me?" The figure regressed back into the shadow. "I must admit I was surprised when I got your message, never have I run so fast at someone's beckoning."

"Figures...but I did not bring you back to reminisce." Tsume reached into her pocket and pulled out a small photograph and tossed it at the creature, afraid to be touched by it. "I want you to tail him."

"A recon mission?" The figure picked up the photograph smelling Tsume's scent on it with a kind of perverted relish; it made the Alpha's proctor skin crawl. "Who is the blonde?"

"Uzumaki Naruto. He is a source of concern for our clan. We need him to be watched but he has allies on the council."

"So you use someone that cannot be connected to the clan. Gotcha. How do I find him?"

"You can't miss him, just follow the scent of death."

"I do miss that smell." The figure pocketed the picture. "So what is in this for me?"

"You get to live." Tsume crossed her arms, a toothy snarl on her face. The shadow merely sniggered.

"I have 'lived' long enough. Now I want more." The figure got up on its legs straightening up so reveal a humanoid form a good foot taller than Tsume. "How is your daughter, Hana is it? I hear she is VERY ripe."

Tsume did not even notice the fact she already drew out a kunai when the figure mentioned her only daughter. "You will not touch her scum! If I see you within 10 miles of her you will BEG for death!"

"Maybe..." The figure did not seem to concerned with the very angry female Inuzuka. "But you did not answer my question, how is she?"

"What do you want?" Tsume gripped her kunai ever so tightly, her knuckles turned white.

"...legacy...home...legacy..." The figure seemed to be chanting rather than talking, Tsume felt a chill go down her spine. _Maybe this was not a good idea._

"We'll see." Tsume finally pocked the blade in her hand and with another hand, tossed a series of document, and travel passports. "This will allow you to get through the city without any trouble."

"That's it? I am surprised Tsume-san. I thought you would try to kick my ass through this forest first. Rex would be most displeased." A toothy smile gleaned out of the shadows. "Is the job of Alpha's proctor wearing you down? Maybe a new Alpha should take up the title."

"You have no right to say his name. Besides if I kill you now, the clan will suspect something when they smell your blood on my hands." Tsume forced herself to have grin on her face but it looked more like extreme discomfort. "Now if you'll excuse me. I have to go have a shower; it appals me to be near you even more so than Naruto."

"Ooh...can I watch?" The shadow was giddy and shaking with excitement.

"You're mad you know that?" Tsume did not even turn around, but she clenched her fist so tight her knuckles turned bone white, and would not let go until she would be well inside the village.

"So they keep telling me." The figure grumbled.

00000000000000000000000

"_**Home sweet home, Boss."**_ One of the Darklings opened the door to Naruto's little shack. Naruto felt very fatigued but he could feel several claws gently holding him up as he walked through the interior of his house.

As Naruto walked though the kitchen to get a glass of water, we quickly noted a very cool breeze flowing behind him from his bedroom. As he glanced behind him, he remembered the events from last night.

"Ah, damn." The hole that was made by the Darklings when they brought him outside. In hindsight he could not recall why he forgot it until now. A good quarter of the roof was gone and one side of the house was totally blasted out. Dammit, now Naruto had to repair it and with what has happened no handyman will accept the job.

"_**Ah, Boss, relax, relax."**_ One of the Darklings gestured to the others who quickly rushed outside. _**"Now don't you go worrying about something as stupid as a missing wall. Have a shower and get ready for bed, WE will handle that."**_

"...okay." Naruto seemed sceptical, but nonetheless did not argue with his companions. He slowly moved over to the shower, by the time he got dried off and clean he returned to see a freshly boarded up wall and roof with several Darklings putting a fresh coat of paint on the walls.

"H-how-" The Darklings turned to stare at a dumbfounded blonde with a slightly agape mouth and eyes as big as dinner plates. Taking a shower and changing took no less than 10 minutes, he knew it, and yet the Darklings did at least several hours to a day's worth of work in that time.

"_**Tricks of the trade Boss."**_

"B-but-" The Darklings dragged their rather stunned master away to the bed. "That's impossible. That cannot be."

"_**Okay Boss, upsy-daisy."**_ Several of the Darklings lifted Naruto off the ground and gently placed him under the sheets of his bed. _**"You got a very busy day ahead of you Boss."**_ Naruto could hardly believe it, the Darklings barely reached up to his waist yet they carried him as if he was as light as a feather.

"Okay, but I have to set my alarm for 5:30 and I have to-"

"_**It's already done, Boss."**_ A Darkling jeered from the ceiling, Naruto took a moment to stare at the strange creature, it looked like a cross between a normal Darkling and a giraffe. If it was earlier he also may have asked why the Darkling on the ceiling looked so weird, however considering his present company the Darkling's form was the most conservative.

Ever so slowly, the Darklings started to fade back into the shadows in a similar manner as they appeared. If it was any one else the demonic creatures would probably have sent them screaming out the door, but Naruto felt an almost soothing calm around them, on some level he felt more comfortable around them in one day than twelve years next to the villagers.

"Been a pretty good day." As Naruto settled his head onto his pillow.

"_**You said it, Boss."**_

00000000000000000000000

Danzo was sipping on his jasmine tea while looking over a book that he laid flat on the table. Although Danzo did enjoy a good book at night, this was not a simple story. Rather this was a prized treasure, one of the few things he had managed to snatch out of Uzushiogakure before the plague hit. Even more so, because of the fact the book held very highly classified information within its pages. Many good members of Root died to bring it back to their leader. It contained a list of 80 names and ages, and beside it a column of times and a third column with locations. The first column were shinobi of Uzushiogakure, the seconds were years of service away from their village, and the final column were cities in every location on the continent. There were even village names that Danzo had never even heard of...and he knew quite a few to say the least.

"Danzo-sama." The two with blank masks that he sent to recon Naruto had returned.

"You're late." Danzo did not even take his eyes off the book. "By at least 10 hours."

"Sorry sir, but we had to avoid being tracked, several ANBU were ghosting us." The younger blonde maintained his composure but his breathing was deeper than usual; he had been running all day.

"Standard attempt?"

"No, Danzo-sama. We...crossed paths as they were also monitoring the target." The older one spoke with slight apprehension, he did not want Danzo-sama to be displeased with him.

"Did you kill any?"

"No."

"Good." Danzo seemed to relax a little. "Keep it that way. I would rather you surrendered than get into a fight. If it happens I will get you out, spread that to the other operatives."

"Yes sir."

"What is your report?" Danzo skimmed an extra page in the book.

"Unfortunately sir we don't have much. The target noticed us."

"Really..." That got Danzo's attention, he closed the book but did not turn to face his guests."... how?"

"Some kind of instinctual warning."

"You must have done something wrong." Danzo mused. "What were using as cover?"

"_Hiru Bansh__ō: Bōka no Jutsu_." The younger blonde replied.

"How long did he take to notice?" Danzo's brow furrowed, that was a very high level stealth technique.

"...uh." Danzo opened his eye, for a Root operative to go '...uh' is not a very good sign.

"30 seconds, Danzo-sama. Almost immediately after he left his hospital room." The older one said, he did not have to guess that Danzo was angry, he could tell by the way he gripped his cane.

"...thank you." Danzo relaxed his posture, he bent over to drink some more tea before re-opening his book. "You're dismissed."

The two Root operatives vanished as quickly as they came, they knew a gift from Danzo-sama when they got it. Danzo continued looking through the book, he was currently re-reading it again in case he missed something.

Danzo closed the book gazing at his surroundings, partly to think, partly to make sure he was alone. Old habits die hard. The treasure of his collection revealed nothing. There were only two constants that he had established from the book, the first is that all the names of the shinobi were women under the age of 30, and second none of their missions were over 10 years.

Uzumaki Kushima was on the list, she was gone for over 3 years and the location she was sent to was the Land of Earth yet the book did not specify anything else. Danzo did not know who or what Naruto was but he had been around long enough to know that Naruto was dangerous and needed to be controlled, and the only way to control him was to find out where he is from.

_Who is the father..._ Danzo could not think of anyone that would come to mind. _To hell with it, it is now or never._

"Sai." A young man appeared before him the moment he spoke, unlike the other Root members this one had no mask, but his blank expression made up for it. "Get a team together, we are going to Uzushiogakure."

000000000000000000

Well there it is. Let me know what you think. I look forward to your critique.

Review and PM.


	17. Chapter 16: The Test

_Hi – Thoughts Normal_

"Hi" – Speaking Normal

_**Hi- Darkness Thoughts**_

"_**Hi" – Darklings Speaking**_

_**Jutsu**_

___Konohagakure __Hiden__ Taijutsu__ Ōgi:__Sennen __Goroshi_ - Konoha Secret Taijutsu: Thousand Years of Pain

_Doton:__Shinjū __Zanshu __no__Jutsu__ –_ Earth Release: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique

_Kawarimi__ no__ Jutsu__-_Body Replacement technique

_Bunshin __no __Jutsu_ – Clone technique

_Henge__ no __Jutsu__ –_ Transformation technique

_**A/N**_

Well is has been a while but here is Chapter 16. I wish to say thank you to my Beta, ABitterPill for his time and assistance.

I also wish to thank all those people who reviewed my last chapter. In particular I wish to single out Dylan Millwood, CMR Rosa, narutorasatard whose discussions have greatly assisted in their development of the story. Special shout out to Jin Dante Kazama (you'll know it when you see it).

Special thank you to OhHenryBars, VulpineSnow, toxinvicotria and ZGW who have been with me since the beginning. I greatly appreciate your support.

Remember, every time you don't review, a Darkling eats a kitten. Well now that the wishy-washy stuff is out of the way on with the chapter!

_**Chapter 16: Tests**_

**6:00 am, 11 October**

The Third Training Ground was a general training ground for shinobi isolated by a small forest just outside of Konohagakure. A light mist was slowly creeping away from the morning dawn, giving the surrounding forests and hills a unique distortion of colour. The birds welcomed the dawn with renewed daily vigour. That was until the arrival of three new genin, the birds chirping was rendered awkwardly silent.

"Hey guys." Naruto tried to be bright as possible, hoping to start a rapport with his new colleagues. Sakura was slouching, rubbing her still tired eyes.

"Good morning." Though Sakura said it in a much more slurred fashion and was more like 'goooooooood mmmmmoooorrrnnniiiinnnggg'. Naruto smiled; obviously Sakura might as well still be asleep. Sasuke, as Naruto had guessed was straight backed and more alert than he was, a blank look on his face.

_Jeez_, Naruto thought, _would__it__kill__you__to__smile?_ They met at the centre of the training ground.

"Well we are on time at least, I thought I might have come a bit late." Naruto smiled. Sakura was too tired to say anything and Sasuke just grunted.

"Might have better conversation talking to a tree." Naruto muttered to himself. Naruto looked around the training ground, there was a large lake on the boundary and three large stumps side by side at the very centre, apart from that it was relatively barren.

"This is the training ground right? Where is he?" Naruto quizzed, although with his present company he was not really expecting an answer. "Oh please don't tell me he is going to be an hour late again."

0o0o0o

Well, Naruto was wrong, and three hours passed with hardly two sentences said between the three of them and Kakashi still had not shown up. The dawn has well passed and the sun was blazing above them.

"I don't frigging believe this." Naruto was pacing in circles, the more time went by the more anxious he became.

"Naruto just sit down, you are starting to make me restless." Sakura sat on the grass next to the still standing Sasuke who had not moved a single inch. _The__ guy __is __a __living__ statue __or __something, __I__ swear __he __is._

Naruto felt his stomach growl in a rather unpleasant manner, the classic telltale sign that he did not get his ramen in the morning. Naruto frowned unpleasantly at the thought of getting up early for absolutely nothing.

_By the time Kakashi-sensei gets here I might starve to death._

_**That could be the idea. It seems I was right; Kakashi plans on making this 'training' a little more difficult than it should be.**_

_Yeah,__ you__'__re __probably __ri-wait...how __did __you __know__ what __Kakashi-sensei__ was __planning?_The Darkness chuckled.

_**I**__** could **__**spend **__**about **__**four **__**hours **__**telling **__**you **__**how**__** good **__**I**__** am**__** at **__**comprehending**__** the **__**witless **__**minds **__**of **__**humans**_, Naruto scowled at the jibe but let pass,_**or **__**you **__**could **__**reach **__**into **__**your **__**right **__**jacket **__**pocket.**_

Naruto had a quizzical look on his face, but nonetheless he put his hand inside the relevant pocket only to feel cool emptiness.

_A__ practical __joke_, Naruto sighed, he was about to remove it when he could feel something morphing in his hand, something soft and lumpy and rather large; bigger than a kunai or two. He pulled it out into the light only to gaze at it in surprise.

"A sandwich?" Naruto anticipated anything but food, this was not something to expect from the Darkness.

_**Yes indeed. One of the Darklings made some while you were asleep. **_

_Wait,__the__ Darklings __can __work __while __I__ am __still __asleep?_Naruto was starting to have trouble keeping up with the revelations that occurred with his newfound abilities.

_**Yes...I might have forgotten to mention that.**_

Naruto would have argued but the rather demanding stomach took priority, Naruto did not bite down, rather devoured the sandwich in two gulps.

"Peanut Butter and Jelly? Nice." He reached into his pocket and found two more waiting for him, they were similarly devoured.

"You're not supposed to eat that." Naruto turned to see Sakura staring at him with a frown on her face. "We were told specifically not to eat for this exercise. He said that we would throw up."

Naruto thought about it while staring at the forth sandwich; it was true that Kakashi told them not to eat.

"That was for a training session very early in the morning." Naruto glanced at the training ground. "Now it is...what time is it?"

"9:30 am." Naruto glanced at the source of the information; Sasuke. He was watching the situation from the corner of his eye.

_The statue speaks._

"9:30am, over 3 hours after the time we were supposed to meet." Naruto gestured to their surroundings. "I know I am new to this...ninja thing but I don't think I am being unreasonable in thinking it can't hurt to eat a little."

Sakura still had the frown on her face, but remained as silent as Sasuke, it took Naruto a moment to realise that Sakura was staring at the sandwich in his hand. The staring was an indicator but the growling stomach of the pink haired girl was the giveaway.

"HAHA! So you're hungry too." A grin crept across Naruto's face. Sakura seemed ashamed about here stomach's unreserved nature. She turned her head down in embarrassment. Sasuke's poker face was impervious to Naruto's examination but his stomach made a noise that put Sakura's to shame and finally revealed his mood; absolutely starving.

_Hmmmmmmmmm. I wonder._

"Well, well, it seems that I am at an advantage here. With two starving teammates I could say the chances of coming out on top have greatly increased." Naruto received a look of absolute venom from Sakura, he could almost feel her anger radiating. Sasuke's eyes narrowed and one of his hands clenched; the first show of emotion Naruto had ever seen.

"...I'm kidding." Naruto dropped the sandwich in his hand onto Sakura's lap. Sakura had a look of absolute shock.

"W-why?"

"Well I considered not giving you any food, but I am not as bad as you think." He reached into his pocket and pulled out another sandwich and tossed it to Sasuke who caught it one handed. "Besides, I have a distinct feeling that if Kakashi found out I have been snacking on food during his absence I could get into trouble. This is just me spreading the punishment."

Sakura gave a slightly curious look to Sasuke who was carefully inspecting the sandwich in his hand, most likely checking for some kind of drug.

"Paranoid much, Sasuke?" Naruto bemused.

Sasuke grunted something that sounded like 'thanks' and bit into it with a kind of fervour. Sakura did not even pause, the sandwich was gone in an instant.

Naruto reached into his pocket again only to get nothing out.

_**The **__**sandwiches **__**are **__**for **__**my**__** host, **__**not **__**some **__**meat**__** sacks **__**unworthy**__** to **__**be **__**in **__**the **__**same **__**area **__**code!**_The Darkness sounded annoyed to say the least, the cloud slowly encircled Naruto's mind.

_It is just a sandwich. Just give me one._

_**No.**_

_What?_

_**You heard me.**_

_Why__ you-_ Naruto imagined pulling food out of his pocket, but he could feel the Darkness pulling away from his will.

_Give __it __to __me!_ Naruto could feel something materialising in his closed palm. The Darkness was writhing in anger, and Naruto could feel himself being drained by it; his arms began to sting. The Darkness hurled a variety of insults, which Naruto resisted to succumb to and with a defiant yank, he pulled a peanut butter sandwich.

"Gotcha." Naruto voice sounded victorious.

"Umm...Naruto what are you doing?" Naruto noticed how Sakura was staring at him and more importantly the sandwich in his hand.

"Oh...nothing. Just...a stubborn sandwich...yeah." Naruto's face blushed a deep shade of red so potent that it could rival that of strawberries.

"You know Naurto." Naruto looked at Sakura's coy face as he handed her his prize. "You're very strange."

"I get that a lot." Then something happened that Naruto did not expect; he could see a small but very obvious smile on Sasuke's face.

"Are you smiling?" The answer was immediate.

"No." Sasuke sounded a little too defensive which just made Naruto chuckle. "Can you pass me another sandwich...please?" Sasuke's stomach was still rumbling.

_Not as emotionless as I thought._

0o0o0o

The Darkness if anything was a well prepared entity. Naruto pulled out a dozen more items of food, not just sandwiches but apples, chocolates and even a soda. Naruto split the food evenly with his new teammates who were enjoying their food as if they have not eaten in weeks. However, each item Naruto took required greater effort to relinquish from the Darkness which seemed to be very adamant about keeping Naruto from sharing the food.

_Why are you putting up a fight?_

_**Because Naruto, why should the cattle reap the benefits that I bestow only to you?**_

_Hey, to get along we have to go along with the flow. From what I can guess we have to rely on teamwork and that means sharing._

**_We __have __known __each __other __for __only __a__ day__, __so __it __will __take __a__ while __to __become __fully __acquainted...but __here__ is __some __news __for __you. __I.__ Don__'__t. __Share._ **

_Well__ you__ do __now._The Darkness was writhing around but not in a way that caused Naruto pain. The one thing that stuck out was that the Darkness was adamant about only letting Naruto do what he wants so long as the Darkness allows it. Yet Naruto was pulling out food against its will which puts a major hole in that rule.

Naruto could not help but feel that the Darkness was toying with him in some way, but at the very least deceiving him. It is always natural to feel some resistance to change, but things kept happening at an accelerated pace which was too much for the newly endowed host.

By the time the food had been finished, all three members of Team 7 were quite replete.

"That was good." Sakura patted her stomach lightly. She seemed the most happy with the snack even though it was very basic. "Feel better Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke grunted as he downed the last bar of chocolate, and although he was hungry, he inspected every inch of the sustenance with careful consideration and always kept an eye on Naruto.

_Some pretty big trust issues. _

"Hey, thanks for the food. You didn't have to do that." Sakura glanced down to the ground. Naruto smiled a cheesy grin.

"Well, by the sounds of it we are going to be together for while so might as well get along."

"Yeah." Sakura's face turned a deep shade of purple. "Look I just want to apologise about yesterday. That was very rude of me."

"Still bent out of shape over that?" Naruto narrowed his eyes slightly, and he could sense Sakura squirming under his gaze. "Water under the bridge. Fair?"

"Okay." After that Sakura seemed to brighten up. "What time is it?"

"10:45 am." Sasuke stood straight backed like a soldier on parade.

"Still no show for Kakashi. Where is he?"

"Here."

0o0o0o

Kakashi walked along the main path to the training ground at a casual pace. The fact he was over 4 hours late did not seem to deter him.

"You're late!" Sakura cried.

"Yeah about that, I saw a black cat along the road so I had to take a detour through-" It became apparent to Kakashi that his students were more likely to believe that he was abducted by aliens than the story he got.

"...well, shall we get to work." Kakashi walked to the centre stump in the middle of the training ground and placed a small black alarm clock on it. He tapped the side of it and a quiet ticking began to resonate across the field. "The alarm has been set to 12 pm."

Kakashi reached into one of his pouches and pulled a pair of bells tied to a string. The trio stared at the strange objects dangling around Kakashi's fingers.

"Your job is to get these bells from me. Whoever does not get a bell will not get any lunch." Kakashi pointed to three stumps at the centre of the training ground. "I will tie you up and eat lunch in front of you."

Deep down, Naruto, Sakura...and maybe Sasuke were laughing. With the amount of food that they consumed over the past hour they could skip lunch and last well into the afternoon. For now, Naruto at least struggled to keep a straight face, however a more daunting thought crossed his mind.

"This is ridiculous, how am I expected to do that? Aren't you supposed to teach me?"

"I am a firm believer in training as you go."

_More __like __you __are __one __of __the __laziest __sensei__'__s__ in __Konoha.__Is __this __what __you __meant __by__ '__no __leniency__'__?_ Kakashi tied the bells around one of holes in his chunin jacket, just dangling above the waist.

"Now my dear students, if you want these bells, you're going to have to come at me with the will to kill me."

"Kakashi-sensei, we can't do that!" Sakura seemed flustered at the prospect of trying to kill their sensei.

"You can't Sakura?" Kakashi was riffling around in his back pocket searching for something. "Well I guess you're out of luck, might as well flunk you and send you back to the Academy. Naruto, Sasuke...it is all up to you now."

Sakura turned to a rather stoic Sasuke, his eyes narrowing on the two bells held by their opponent. Naruto on the hand was eerily calm but his eyes were gazed slightly upward, obviously thinking about how to get a bell.

_I__ can__'__t __be __away __from__ Sasuke-kun, __not__ when __I__ am __so __close. __Sorry __Naruto..._ Sakura felt some sense of shame but this was for love. Her inner voice supporting that opinion tenfold. _Besides, __you __can __now__ go __back __and __go __through __proper __training__ like __normal __ninja!_

Her eyes returned to their rather dispassionate sensei with a new resolve. Kakashi smiled underneath his mask.

"Change of heart Sakura? Good." He turned to see the three students, he could see varying degrees of commitment and determination.

With Sasuke he saw a seething confidence, no fear, no doubt and obviously the concept of failure had not occurred to him. _He__'__s __going __to __be __in__ for __a __surprise._ Sakura was not confident in the least, frankly Kakashi thought she would be the first to go, but the glare she gave him after looking at Sasuke and Naruto renewed his faith, at least for now.

Then there was Naruto and what intrigued the masked ninja was that there was no fear but there was this significant worry and concern, likely wondering how he was going to get a bell. However there was a slightly raised eyebrow beneath his straw hat; the sign of a sceptic. Naruto obviously did not trust Kakashi at his word. _How __ironic,__ the __one __with __the __least __experience__ is __already __the __closest __to __figuring __out __what __I __am__ up __to._

"Ready?" He saw all three tense up and get into a ready stance. "aaaannnd...GO!"

0o0o0o

Kakashi was mildly impressed at the speed Sasuke and Sakura dove into the bushes. Naruto on the other hand was a bit slower, but for a boy who became a ninja less than two days ago he was not that bad.

_Huh, __guess __it __is__ now__ the __waiting __game._ Kakashi found what he was looking for and pulled out his favourite orange book Icha Icha Paradise. _Might__ squeeze __in __some__ reading__ time __in __while __I__ am __at __it.__ I __wonder __if __Marida __and __Toka __will __even__tually__ get __together?_

0o0o0o

Sasuke hid in one of the shrubs on the very outskirts near the lake, his hand hovering over his leg pouch. He saw the masked sensei take out an orange book and seemed utterly devoid of anything around him.

_Now __is __my __chance._ Sasuke slowly pulled out two shuriken taking careful aim.

"Psst...Sasuke." The raven haired spun around to face Naruto who looked like he was having some problem balancing himself on a tree branch.

"What do you want?" Sasuke did not need to distracted by this non-ninja. "Get out of here and find your own hiding spot."

"Yeah that is what I need to talk to you about." Naruto sighed. "Look I think Kakashi-sensei is trying to screw with us."

"What makes you say that?" Sasuke returned to his position on his branch surveying his sensei, he was now giggling like a school-girl. _Great,__ I __got __a__ weirdo __for __a __sensei._

"Look I did some reading and-GAH!" Naruto just narrowly avoided several kunai thrown in their general direction, by none other than their sensei. Although Sasuke only noticed it at the very last seconded he shifted his weight to let the kunai pass by him while Naruto, an obvious novice reacted too quickly using unnecessary movements and the branch under him broke from the stress, making him land on the ground with a metallic crunch.

_Amazing_, Sasuke quickly landed on the ground like a cat, _I __did __not __even __see __him__ reach__ for __his __pouch_. _Then__ again, __I__ should __expect __nothing __less __from__ a __jounin._

"Ugh. Sasuke wait up! I need to talk to you." Sasuke heard the heavily armoured genin catch up to him.

"Buzz off Naruto." Sasuke continued to snake through the undergrowth to get to a new vantage point. "Because of you, my cover was blown, you moron."

"Hey no need to get nasty." Naruto was flabbergasted at his teammate's rudeness.

"Listen Naruto, I thank you for the food, because of that I will last longer in this match and I stand a better chance at getting the bells." Sasuke scowled. "But don't think I am going to go out of my way to help you, in case you have not noticed it is every man for himself."

"Hey jackass, if you listen to me I can-"

"I don't care what you have to say Naruto, you have no training and no knowledge. Frankly I don't even know why you are here." Sasuke turned to the rather exasperated blonde. "You seem like a decent guy, but that is not enough in this business. Maybe with further training you might have a shot, until then...I suggest you leave." With that, Sasuke vanished into a nearby shrub, however he paused briefly when he heard mumbling in the background.

"Sasuke wait-"

_**"****Forget **__**it **__**Boss,**__**the**__** Emo-freak **__**is **__**an **__**asshole. **__**Let **__**us**__** try**__** Forehead-chan.**__**"**_ Sasuke's blood ran cold, that voice could not be human, he spun around only to see a rather empty clearing where Naruto used to be.

0o0o0o

Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief, he managed to stop Sasuke and Naruto from creating a strategy. He also chuckled when he saw Naruto hit that ground with an almost comical thud and even more comical yell.

However, this confirmed his suspicions, Naruto has most likely figured out the nature of test. That alone means Naruto has earned the respect of his sensei, but just because he is onto the nature of the test does not mean Kakashi is going to make it easy for him.

"Sorry kids, but you are going to have to try much harder than that." Kakashi flipped another page.

0o0o0o

"Yeah right." Sakura rolled her eyes at the armoured blonde.

"I am not joking here Sakura." Despite Naruto's rather genuine attempts to try and break the news to his new teammates, they seemed to be resistant to his help. "He wants us to work together."

"Then why the two bells, huh?"

"That is what I have been trying to explain to you." Naruto reached into his inner pocket, he could feel the book from the Centre at the tip of his fingers. "If you will look at this it will explain everything."

"Naruto, we don't have time for this. I don't have time for this." Sakura proceeded to try and wave him off.

"Dammit, Sakura, read the damn book!"

"Do you think I'm stupid?" She hissed. "This is just some trick so you could get a bell. You are not separating me from my Sasuke-kun!"

"YOUR Sasuke-kun?" Naruto was wondering what the hell he got himself into, though it was difficult to focus as he could feel the Darkness swirling around his mind, laughing.

"Yes! Now. Buzz. Off." Sakura scrambled into several more bushes vanishing from sight. Probably the best thing too, because she did not have to look at the rather livid face of Uzumaki Naruto.

"Is this team completely insane?" Naruto turned to face a rather amused Darkling hiding under the very base of a shrub.

_**"****Like**__** we **__**said, **__**Boss, **__**it **__**sucks **__**to **__**be**__** you.**__**What **__**now?**__**"**_ Naruto noticed a twisted smile gleaming from the shadows.

"..."

0o0o0o

"Yeesh." Kakashi kept his eye on the little argument between the pink and blonde haired genin, before the kunoichi vanished further into the surrounding trees. "This team has issues."

The test was obviously working, but as usual it was working only too well. Kakashi has used this test for the past twelve teams and not one of them made the cut. However the difference between them and this current team was that one of them actually knew what was going on, they just did not listen. Kakashi heard a rustle of leaves and saw Naruto step into the main clearing.

_It__ seems __Naruto __has __given __up __asking __for __help._ Kakashi flipped another page in his book.

"So," Kakashi mused, "what are you doing out here?"

"Trying to get a bell." Naruto kept his hat down covering his face.

"That so?"

"Don't suppose if I ask nicely, you'll give me one?" Kakashi raised an eyebrow; that was the first time anyone of his genin asked that question.

"Nice try, Naruto." Kakashi lowered the book down to chest height, the barest outline of a smile behind the mask. "...but no."

Naruto did not seem too perturbed, he got into a basic ready stance, placing one of his hands into the side pocket of his trench coat. _Okay, __Naruto__ let__ us __see__ what __you __can __do._

Without pausing for a second the armoured genin removed his hand from his pocket and threw three kunai at his masked sensei with all the force that he could muster. The kunai did not fly so much as rocketed towards its target with great speed. Kakashi looked surprised as he tilted his head slightly to the right, dodging the attack. Kakashi looked incredibly bored as he tilted his head slightly to the right, dodging the attack.

_Right, __forgot...he__'__s__ a __jounin._ Naruto sighed, he reached back into his pocket, several more weapons manifested in the palm of his hand. He prepared for another barrage only to see his sensei start forward at a brisk pace, the masked man looked more like he was day dreaming than fighting.

_What__ a __smart __ass._ He hurled another set of kunai, again only to miss their target_.__I __could__ go __back__ into __the __trees, __but __he __will __get __to __me __before __that. __Besides __there __are __too __many __gaps __between __the__ leaves __and __trees, __so __back __up __is __out._ _Ah, __screw__ this._

Naruto launched forward, withdrawing as many kunai, shuriken and other sharp pieces of metal he could summon from the void. Kakashi was starting to use more quick and verbose movements as they approached each other.

The genin made the first strike launching his fist directly into his sensei's gut only for it to be caught in midair. Doing a quick side step, Naruto attempted to sweep his opponent, but being a jounin, Kakashi-sensei lifted the targeted leg and slammed his foot down on Naruto's stopping it dead in its tracks.

Naruto kept throwing punches at the jounin, delivering the occasional rib shot but with his foot pinned it was awkward to deliver any form of solid attack. Kakashi seemingly bored with his attempts, released his opponent's foot and delivered a powerful kick to the chest sending Naruto reeling back several meters.

"Dammit." Naruto held out is hands almost like he was trying to stop something coming at him, only to have several dozen shuriken shoot out from under his sleeves like as if spring loaded.

"That is a little different." Kakashi did a quick dash to the left avoiding the barrage, he immediately noticed Naruto charging at him with a short sword that he withdrew from the inner pockets of his coat. "But not different enough."

Naruto brought down the sword with enough force that it would have decapitated the silver haired sensei. However, it hit the ground with a dull thump scattering dirt into the air.

"You know Naruto, you have potential, but you're a little flustered." He heard the smooth voice of Kakashi behind him, Naruto immediately readjusted his grip to prepare for anther swing. "Maybe you should cool off."

"Watch out, Naruto!" The familiar voice of Sakura cried from the forest. She sounded a little _too _worried for Naruto's comfort.

"_Konohagakure __Hiden__ Taijutsu__ Ōgi:__Sennen __Goroshi!__"_

Thunk. TWANG!

0o0o0o

_Ugh...Okay,__what__ the __hell __was __that?_ Naruto regained consciousness with the wind running through his hair. _And__ why __does __my__ butt __hurt...am__ I __flying?_ Naruto vision attempted to focus however his whole world was spinning in different directions. It finally settled when he reached the peak of his aerial arc, and in that brief moment Naruto could finally focus on his surroundings.

He was at least ten or so meters in the air, he could see his sensei standing calmly reading his book. _Did __he __seriously __perform__ some__ kind of__ colonoscopy__ on __me?_ Naruto would have considered yelling several very bad curses that a child his age should not be aware of, however he noticed that he was starting to pick up speed...straight down. He gazed down in both horror and surprise and noticed the rather large body of water of the lake approaching him at accelerated speed...or rather he was approaching the lake at great speed.

_Ah damn._

Splash.

0o0o0o

Kakashi skimmed to a new page, reflecting on the rather brief engagement he had with the armoured blonde. Well he certainly was impressive for someone who became a ninja a little over 24 hours ago, the spring loaded shuriken was certainly a nice touch. _His __foot work __and__ body __movements __were__ reflexive __as __opposed __to __trained;__the __kid__'__s __a __natural __at __throwing __kunai __and__ shuriken._

_The __foot work __is __below __average __and__ his __taijutsu __is __horrible,__but __that __was __expected __and __his __ability __to__ plan __is...noteworthy._ Naruto's speed and agility left something to be desired, most ninja would have little difficulty in catching up with the armoured blonde.

_Dear __god, __he __was __strong __though,__ easily __chunin__ strength __and__ his __stamina __is __above__ average.__I __guess__ all __those __years __as __a __wood chopper __might __come __in __handy __after __all._ Kakashi's grin was barely apparent to those who gazed at the masked ninja. _Seems__ the __Hokage __might __be __right __about__ this __kid._

He flexed his jarred fingers as he flipped to another page. It still stung from the 'technique' that sent Naruto flying which is not normal. Guess this is what happens when you try and perform a ridiculous move such as _Sennen__ Goroshi_ on someone who is that heavily armoured. Still it had the desired effect.

Naruto hit the water with enough force that it felt his exposed skin was on fire. He quickly sank like a stone and hit the bottom of the lake with mud scattering upwards.

_Calm __down,__ calm __down.__ Relax __and __just __get __up._ Naruto released sum air from his lungs as he grunted to get up. _Armour __was __a __bad__ idea.__What __was __I__ thinking?_ His lungs were already beginning to tighten.

His eyes tried to adjust to the surroundings, but everything was so black. _Damn,__the__ lake __is __deep._

_**"****That**__** is **__**good **__**for **__**us **__**Boss.**__**"**_ Naruto spun around to feel something jammed into his mouth and fresh air flooded his lungs. His eyes refocused to see Frutz slowly hovering in the water, a Cheshire grin from ear to ear, a ridiculously large snorkel in its toothy mouth.

"Frutz?" Naruto felt the object in jammed into his face, it was a mouth piece connected to an air tank.

_**"****Yeah,**__**Boss.**__**I**__** told **__**you **__**we **__**will **__**help **__**you **__**if **__**we**__** can.**__**" **_Frutz gestured behind, focusing on several Darklings floating around the darkness in the lake as if on vacation. Naruto noticed Goldbrick slithering through the water like an eel trying to eat a nearby fish that knew better than to get too close. Xran and Dren were busy using a rock lobster as a baseball. _**"**__**This**__** Kakashi**__** is**__** a **__**serious **__**piece **__**of **__**work...at **__**least **__**he **__**is**__** not **__**going**__** to **__**seriously**__** kill **__**you.**__**"**_

"What if he was?" Naruto mumbled through the scuba gear.

_**"****We **__**would **__**never **__**have **__**let **__**you**__** set **__**foot**__** on **__**the **__**training **__**ground.**__**" **_Frutz glared upwards to the surface of the lake. _**"**__**We**__** would**__** have **__**taken**__** steps **__**to **__**make**__** sure **__**that **__**you **__**would **__**have **__**been **__**safe.**__**"**_

"Okay, well at least you're here now." Naruto took a deep sigh of relief. "So guys, what do you think I should do?" On cue, the Darklings that were goofing off quickly gathered around their host smiling their creepy smiles.

_**"****Well **__**Boss, **__**a **__**standard **__**Darkling, **__**like **__**us,**__**"**_ A random Darkling jeered, _**"**__**cannot **__**survive **__**even**__** being **__**partially **__**submerged**__** in **__**sunlight.**__**"**_

"...okay."

_**"****But,**__**"**_ Frutz held up a long clawed finger, _**"**__**there**__** are **__**some **__**of **__**us **__**that **__**have **__**been **__**conditioned**__** to **__**survive **__**in **__**partial **__**sunlight.**__**"**_ With that, the claw pointed to something behind its master.

Naruto turned around to see...something that made Naruto wonder if he ran out of air.

_**"****Hiya Boss. I'm Doppelus."**_

0o0o0o

The training ground was deathly quiet, Kakashi cast quick glances to Sakura, Sasuke, the lake and then back to his book.

Sakura was currently hiding even deeper in the surrounding forest attaching some explosive tags to several kunai. The jounin smirked, only the foolish or the insanely determined would use_ that_ many explosive tags.

Sasuke was sneaking between the trees in a 'U' shape trying to find the quickest way to attack with minimal transition time, Kakashi's fight with Naruto showed a small glimpse of the sensei's abilities. Sasuke knew he would not get a second chance if he missed.

It had been several minutes since Naruto fell into the lake, and he still did not come out. Could he have drowned? Kakashi was starting to get a little antsy, moving toward the lake with a more determined walk, ready to dive in at a moment's notice. _If__ he__ is __not __up __in __ten __seconds __I__ am__ going __in._

Thus the clock began to tick. The jounin pocketed the book as he prepared for the worst; sure he had given his previous teams some serious injuries, especially if they gave him attitude, but none of them have died.

It was then he noticed a sliver of ripples crossed the surface of the lake. _He__'__s __coming._ Kakashi was all too surprised when Naruto leapt out of the water, his eyes aflame with rage.

"I'M GOING TO RIP YOUR BALLS OFF YOU CYCLOPTIC SON OF A WHORE!"

0o0o0o

Sakura was currently shuffling through the explosive tags in her hand like a professional card shark. "Forty-three, forty-four...forty-five." The sounds of a battle reached her ears interrupting her counting. "What is going on out there?"

She pocketed the tags in her rear pouch and crawled as quickly as she could careful to avoid crunching any leaves or fallen branches. She crawled under a shrub to get a better look. "Is it Sasuke?" Her heart raced at the concept of seeing him fight their sensei...and kick his ass. However, it was not Sasuke that was fighting the jounin.

"Woah...Naruto." Sakura's eyes were mesmerised by the armoured blonde as he was pushing Kakashi-sensei back. Kakashi was actually _losing_ ground.

"You have got to be kidding me." She muttered under her breath. Sakura could not imagine even touching Kakashi, and until recently she thought that Sasuke was the only person to measure up. Guess Naruto is full of surprises.

She felt an iron grip around her ankle and it took all of her willpower to not scream out in surprise. Sakura turned to see an iron grip emanating out of a nearby shrub and gazed to see a pair of blue eyes.

"...Naruto?"

0o0o0o

Sasuke was almost tempted to actually sit down and watch the fight unfolding before him. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that _Naruto_, a non-ninja was holding his own against a _jounin_. The blonde's taijutsu was nothing fancy, in fact it was sloppy and downright atrocious; it looked more like a wild animal was fighting than a ninja...still, that is not saying it was not effective. Sasuke could actually see the strained look on the sensei's face as he blocked and countered the bold initiative from the new shinobi. However, Naruto's speed was well within Sasuke's reach but still it would be difficult to sustain indefinitely without getting fatigued.

_Maybe __now __is __my __chance...__while __he __is __distracted._ Sasuke pulled out a dozen shuriken taking careful aim at Kakashi's lower abdomen, with any luck one of the bells my get separated in the assault.

_**"****Psst...emo-freak.**__**"**_ Sasuke spun around ready to take on the person foolish enough to call Uchiha Sasuke an 'emo-freak', only to come face to face with a strange hung upside down using the tree branch above Sasuke as footing. The creature was entirely draped in leather with large ears, almost like horns sticking straight up (or from Sasuke's point of view straight down, little narrow white slits for eyes glared at Sasuke with a cold contempt.

"Who...what are you?" Sasuke held up a kunai near the creature's throat (at least Sasuke assumed it was its throat) but it did not even flinch.

_**"****I**__**'**__**m **__**Batman.**__**" **_ The creature's eyes narrowed even further, most likely its attempt at intimidation. Once it realised that Sasuke was more confused rather than terrified, it added something else as an afterthought,"_**...rar.**__**"**_

"...What?"

_**"****Nothing. Boss wants to see you, so get your ass over to the small clearing thirty meters west of here."**_

"The 'Boss'?"

_**"****Naruto.**__**"**_ The creature huffed in irritation, almost as if it expected Sasuke to know who he was referring to.

"...And if I don't?" The creature's face split to reveal a smile with gleaming white teeth, sharper than the kunai that Sasuke held in his hand. This actually made the raven-haired Uchiha's heart race.

_**"****Emo-freak,**__**you **__**REALLY **__**don**__**'**__**t **__**want **__**to**__** say**__** '**__**no**__**' **__**to **__**me.**__** People **__**get **__**crippled**__** when **__**they **__**say**__** '**__**no**__**' **__**to **__**me.**__**"**_ For some reason that could not be explained, Sasuke took the creature's threat at its word.

0o0o0o

Sasuke and Sakura stared at Naruto with a renewed interest. He looked like he just walked out of a tsunami, he was still dripping wet, his hair no longer spiky flopped to the side like a damp mop. He was no longer wearing the trade mark, his wide brim straw hat, trench coat and armour, all that remained was his black undershirt and a pair of shorts, even his boots were gone.

"What happened to you?" Sasuke's accusing tone did little to improve the blonde's sour mood; a huge frown across his face.

"Now that I have your attention." He muttered gruffly as he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a small book, and ungracefully tossed it to the Uchiha. Sasuke carefully picked up the book, its pages still damp. "Flip to the bookmarked page." Naruto watched as Sasuke complied and began to read silently. The only indication that he understood what was written was the way his eyes narrowed as his eyes finished darting across the book.

"Where did you get this?" His tone was suspicious, Naruto found it hard to believe that the Uchiha still thought this was some kind of trick.

"Konoha Centre."

"What do you think Sakura?" Sasuke handed the book to the pink haired girl next to him, his eyes did not leave the blonde. Sakura carefully took the book and read the same passages as Sasuke, unlike the Uchiha her eyes widened in shock. She quickly inspected the cover and carefully checked a few of the other pages to confirm its authenticity.

"This is the real deal." Sakura looked up to stare at Naruto. "Only a chunin can check this book out. How did you get it? Stealing?" Sakura almost sounded disgusted, yet at the same time impressed.

A wry smirk cross Naurto's lips. "Does it really matter?" When silence answered him, he let out a deep sigh. "Does what you read sound familiar?" A look from both of the confirmed his question. "Good, then we have to work together. If you had listened to me before, I wouldn't have had to resort to this." Naruto gestured to his wet clothes and shorts.

"If you're here, then what is Kakashi-sensei fighting? Don't tell me that is a bunshin." Sasuke had observed and read up on several different bunshin during his time in the academy, not once had he seen one that was like the one Kakashi was fighting; it was too strong, too fast and could take a solid hit.

"That does not matter. Once we pass this test I will explain." Naruto promised, the Darkness on the other hand was less co-operative.

_**Bad**__** idea.**__** Don**__**'**__**t **__**make me **__**shut **__**you **__**up,**__**Naruto.**_ The blonde blanched just a little but quickly moved past its objections. Sasuke's eyes narrowed to the point where he looked like he was squinting.

"So, Naruto. You got a plan?" For some reason beyond Naruto's comprehension, his face contorted into a grin.

"Well...now that you mention it..."

_I. Don't. Believe__.__This._ Kakashi thought between grunts. Naruto's hands were moving very fast, not to the point where he could not keep up, but he could not start reading otherwise he would end up getting socked in jaw.

"C'mon Cyclops, give me a colonoscopy will you? Throw me into the air? You'll look pretty funny eating a corn on the cob without any teeth! " Naruto jeered, his grin so wide it stretched from ear to ear. The sensei tried to distance himself from the mad genin by delivering a sweeping kick across Naruto chest, only for the blonde to...twist his entire body backwards effectively ducking beneath an attack that would have otherwise sent him flying back. Naruto immediately contorted back up to face a rather shocked Kakashi who received a shot to the ribs. "Nice try Cyclops, but I am not going to make it easy on you. HA!"

_What __is __wrong __with__ this __kid._ Kakashi would have nursed the wound from a rather impressive punch but he would be damned if he would yield to this little brat._Is __rage __the __trigger __to __his __abilities? __Does __he__ get __stronger __when__ he__ is __mad__ or __humiliated?_ Kakashi kept an eye on the surrounding environment looking for any of those creatures that appeared in the reports he read, but so far there was nothing appearing so far. The jounin's thought process was interrupted by another shot to the ribs. _Alright __Naruto,__you __asked __for __this._

With that, Naruto threw another punch only to meet air, Kakashi vanished in the blink of an eye. "Where are you, Cyclops?" His question was answered when he felt a steely grip wrap around his ankle. "What the f-"

"_Doton: __Shinjū__Zanshu__ no __Jutsu!_"

0o0o0o

"Okay Naruto, I admit I am impressed." Kakashi mused as he stared at the blonde genin before him with renewed interest. "You are more unique than I thought."

The only indication that Kakashi was not talking to the ground was the head that stuck out of it wearing a straw hat. "Just for the record Naurto, I am your sensei, you should treat me with more respect. Don't call me 'Cyclops'."

With that Naruto giggled under his hat. "Well that is too bad Cyclops...because you are not my sensei..._**and**__** I**__** am**__** not **__**the **__**Boss**_." Naruto lifted the brim of his hat, revealing an altered face; his eyes were a deep red and elongated fangs grew from his mouth, his skin changed from a healthy pink to a disgusting grey colour.

"What the hell?" Kakashi took a step back.

_**"****KABOOM **__**BITCH!**__** HAHAHAHAHA!**__**"**_ With that, 'Naruto' detonated, engulfing Kakashi in the ninth largest explosion of his career.

0o0o0o

Kakashi was in ANBU, that meant destruction and death when he went on most missions. Most of the missions that Kakashi went on were assassinations. Although he would take it with him to the grave, he was not proud of the things he did in ANBU. In the end, that is one of the reasons why he left.

However, there were other factors, namely everyone trying to kill him...that really turned him off the whole ANBU thing. Oh and a lot of his opponents had a variety of ways of trying to kill him; melting, stabbing, drowning, even waiting him out. However, Hatake Kakashi inevitably always ran into an explosion during his missions, it was almost like a natural occurrence; the sky is blue, grass is green and people try to blow up Kakashi. It almost became a hobby to document the kind of explosions he had encountered and rank them in order of lethality.

As Kakashi's ears were ringing, he placed Naruto's self detonation somewhere below that Iwa shinobi in Tsuki no Kuni, but definitely above that botched mission in Yuki no Kuni.

"That was insane." Kakashi's head was spinning madly but he regained just enough of his senses to feel a brush of air next to his legs and the sound of movement behind him...he did not have to put too much effort in sensing the very solid punch in his gut, which sent him tripping to the ground.

Once the smoke cleared and his ears stopped ringing, Kakashi dared to open his uncovered eye, his gaze settling on the stoic Uchiha and the pink haired Hanuro.

"Alright then let us see what you can do...wait." Kakashi knew something was wrong the moment he saw them, he tapped the side of his shinobi vest to make a stunning discovery...the bells were gone. His eyes widened in shock when he found each bell, in the hands of the genin before him. _That__'__s__impossible._

Although Sasuke still looked mildly depressed, the wry smirk that he allowed himself showed how pleased he was. Sakura on the other hand was more vocal shouting 'Banzai!' at the top of her lungs.

Kakashi heard the sound of rustling behind him, he glanced to see Naruto scurrying about the big hole in the ground. The jounin watched with a mild amazement as he was picking up fragments of what was left of the armour, all the while cursing.

"Friggin hell, Doppelus now I need another set...stupid Darkling." Kakashi was actually amazed, if Naruto was here then what he was fighting was a bunshin, but Kakashi would be dammed if he knew it was. A self-detonating bunshin is not something you would find in a training manual, that is a jounin level technique at least. _Is__ that __a __natural __ability?__Can__'__t __imagine __where __he __would __have __learnt __it._

"Yes!" Naruto held up the trench coat from the ground, it was covered in dirt but was relatively intact. "Fire-proof and explosive proof? Damn the old man undervalued it."

"Naruto? What was that technique?" Naruto turned to face a rather stern looking Kakashi.

"What?"

"A self-detonating bunshin is not a technique I have seen, and I have seen most of them." Kakashi straightened up, stretching his arms. "I am immensely curious."

_**Don**__**'**__**t**__** tell **__**him**__** Naruto.**_ The blonde genin could feel the Darkness assault his mind with a symphony of screams

_Hey, what harm could it do?_

_**Lots Naruto, this is a mistake. I recommend that you reconsider.**_

_Why don't you just make me? Huh?_

_**...Let the record show that I warned you.**_

"Well." Naruto found his hat nearby and gingerly picked it up. "That was not a bunshin. It was a Darkling."

"Darkling?" Sakura raised an eyebrow.

"It is a special summons. Let me show you." Naruto held his hat and coat out in the air, like he was going to place them on an invisible coat rack. Almost immediately, smoke emitted from the very centre of the coat, quickly taking shape and solidifying. The rest of Team 7 stood in amazement as a new Naruto manifested in the coat and hat.

"ALRIGHT WHO DO YOU WANT ME TO CUT?" The new Naruto glared maliciously at the rest of the team, its hands extended outward revealing clawed fingers only to quickly reel them back into his coat. "_**What**__** the **__**hell **__**Boss, **__**it **__**is **__**friggin**__** bright **__**out**__** here!**__** Where **__**are **__**the **__**rest **__**of**__** your **__**clothes, **__**it**__** hurts **__**being**__** exposed**__** to **__**this **__**much **__**light!**__**"**_ The manifestation quickly wrapped the coat around him as if he was freezing, pulling the hat as far down across his face as possible.

"Relax Doppelus, Just wanted to introduce you the rest of the team."

"_**No maiming?"**_

"No maiming."

"_**Ugh.**__**"**_ The cloaked Naruto rolled his eyes, obviously disappointed.

"Be nice, Doppelus."

_**"****Fine.**__**"**_ The fake Naruto revealed a toothy smile. _**"**__**Emo-freak,**__** Forehead-chan,**__** Cyclops, **__**I**__**'**__**m**__** Doppelus. **__**Nice**__** to **__**meet **__**you.**__**Ouch!**__**"**_ The fake genin flinched when the real Naurto gave a rather audible smack across the side of the head.

While Kakashi merely grunted in disapproval at his obviously new nickname, Sasuke and Sakura glared at this 'Darkling' with one of the most livid expressions the jounin had ever seen.

"Why you little-" Sakura was about to reel forward intent on strangling the Naruto look-alike but Kakashi restrained her by the shoulder.

"Don't do it Sakura. That is what it wants." As if to confirm their sensei's statement, the fake Naruto's eyes lost their blue tinge, instead to be replaced by a red haze.

_**"****You're smarter than you look, Cyclops."**_

"Doppelus! Enough!" The fake Naruto wilted under the original's gaze. "Apologise! NOW!"

_**"****...sorry...Cy-ugh...Kakashi...Sakura...Sasuke.**__**"**_ The creature called Doppelus looked like it wanted to say something more but reluctantly remained silent. Kakashi brushed off the excess dirt caught in his vest and gave a big huff.

"Well gang, I admit it. I am very impressed. You are the first team to have ever come this close to passing."

"W-wait! What do you mean 'this close'? What about getting the bells to pass?"

"Well that technically is true." Kakashi straightened himself up but not before he pulled out a familiar little book. "Except when you sucker punched me in the gut Sakura I lifted your pouch." Sakura's face turned as red as a tomato. "I must admit this was the last thing I would expect to find, but I thought something was a little odd with the way you were acting, Naruto."

Kakashi flipped through the book to the relevant bookmarked paged. "The Bell test was passed on to me by my father just as it was passed on to him by the Sandaime. This test has been the bane of many students who were unfortunate enough to get me as their sensei."

"So?" Sasuke looked like he was ready to strangle the silver haired jounin.

"So, you were supposed to figure out this test by yourself," Kakashi displayed the book as if it was on exhibit, "technically having this book would qualify as cheating."

"WHAT?" All three genin cried out in unison.

"Don't play dumb Naruto, from what I can tell, you must have gone to the library and did a little bit of reading on what I could throw at you. I admit you were clever in determining this test as the most logical choice, but knowing about its purpose before experiencing it renders the test moot."

"I don't believe this." Sakura actually looked like she might cry.

_**"****That**__**'**__**s**__** funny.**__**"**_ The group turned to Doppelus who was grinning under his coat. _**"**__**Coming **__**from**__** a **__**shinobi.**__**"**_

"Doppelus what are you doing?"

_**"****Let **__**me **__**handle **__**this **__**Boss.**__**"**_ Doppelus lifted the brim of his hat to glare at the sensei. _**"**__**I **__**have **__**worked**__** in**__** this **__**business**__** of **__**serving**__** the **__**Boss **__**and **__**his **__**predecessors **__**for**__** a **__**long**__** time. **__**I**__** have **__**spent **__**many**__** years **__**working **__**with**__** ninja **__**and **__**near**__** as **__**I**__** can**__** tell **__**you **__**are **__**all **__**a**__** bunch**__** of **__**hacks **__**and **__**cheats.**__**"**_

Doppelus nodded to Sasuke and Sakura. _**"**__**Those **__**two**__** are **__**likely **__**to **__**become**__** conniving **__**back**__**stabbers **__**who **__**will **__**murder **__**their **__**opponent **__**when **__**they **__**are **__**not **__**looking, **__**but **__**that **__**is **__**the **__**nature **__**of**__** the **__**beast. **__**Researching **__**their **__**enemies**__** for **__**weaknesses**__** so **__**they **__**can **__**kill **__**them**__** as **__**quickly **__**as **__**possible **__**is **__**natural **__**as **__**breathing. **__**Accusing **__**my **__**Boss **__**of**__** cheating**__** is**__** nothing **__**short **__**of**__** hypocrisy!**__**"**_

"True!" Sakura chimed. "Besides, you did not specify that Naruto could not research on tests, nor did you specify that he could not flat out tell us what he found."

"Furthermore." Naruto grinned. "I would hate the rumour that you are a sore loser follow you around should you fail us."

"Is that a threat?" Kakashi mused.

_**"****From **__**Naruto?**__** No, **__**he **__**is **__**a**__** cutie **__**pie.**__**"**_ The clone squeezed its master's cheek with a kind of grandmotherly feel to it. _**"**__**From**__** me,**__** you**__** can **__**bloody**__** well **__**count **__**on **__**it. **__**Remember **__**Cyclops, **__**I**__** got **__**you **__**once, **__**I**__** can **__**do **__**it **__**again.**__**"**_ The creature put on its best 'scary face' which looked like an over stretched grin to reveal several rows of teeth. Although the team cannot be sure, they could swear their sensei's chuckle sounded more nervous than amused.

"Is that any way to treat your master's sensei?"

_**"****Sensei? Newsflash genius, I don't answer to you; I answer to the Boss and the Boss alone!"**_

"That is right. You answer to me." Naruto looked incredibly annoyed. "And you show Kakashi-sensei some respect!"

_**"****Pfft.**__**"**_ The clone of its master rolled its demonic eyes. _**"**__**Whatever.**__**"**_

"But he does have a point Kakashi-sensei." Naruto still glared at Doppelus. "It seems contradictory that we would not be allowed to research."

"Hmph." The jounin seemed to smile underneath his mask. "Well...you did get the bells...Alright you pass-" What was said next was drowned by the sound of cheering from Sakura and Naruto.

"BUT...I should tell you that this is a unique decision. Considering you were told about this test as opposed to learning it, I am still not so sure you appreciate the gravity of team work." Kakashi's eye had a sterner look. "So I will pass you _provisionally_ for the time being. If I do not see a sense that this team will survive together I will disband it and send you all to the academy."

The three genin nodded. "Sakura, Sasuke; if it was not for Naruto's assistance you would have completely failed this test. Make no mistake, you genin passed because of someone who has no training. I think it is time you acknowledge him as someone who saved your ass."

Although Sasuke said nothing, Sakura said something that sounded like 'thanks'. The sensei turned to the blonde.

"Naruto; I know your comrades did not inspire much faith, but part of a team requires to look underneath the underneath. I saw the look in your eyes, your teammates are not burdens and you passed because of them just as much as they passed because of you."

_**"****That **__**is **__**a**__** sack **__**of **__**bullsh-mmf!**__**"**_ Doppelus' outburst was smothered by a solid grip from Naruto.

"Okay sensei."

"Okay, then. I hear by pass Team 7." Kakashi's posture relaxed a huge grin under his mask. "Congratulations. I will see you tomorrow."

"You hear that Sasuke we passed. This calls for celebration! Want to hit the restaurants?" Sakura blushed as she recalled something. "Naruto...do you want to come along? My treat."

The blonde held a quizzical look but his mouth broke into a toothy grin. "Love to."

"Whoa...hang on Naruto." The blonde felt a heavy grip on his shoulders. "Where do you think you are going?"

"I was-"

"In case you have forgotten, the one who did not get a bell does not get lunch." Kakashi looked him up and down, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. Naruto could not help but notice the line of rope in his hand. "Off to the post with you."

The Darkling known as Doppelus seemed moderately displeased yet at the same time incredibly amused. Naruto groaned, glancing back at Sasuke and Sakura; both of whom looked disappointed...well Sakura looked disappointed, Sasuke looked like he had constipation. "You guys go on ahead. I'll see you later. Enjoy your date."

"It's not a date you moron!" Sakura looked incredibly flustered. "W-wait...is it?"

Sasuke 'coincidentally' took that moment to slip away into the trees.

0o0o0o

Since the 'Bell Test' the newly formed Team 7 had a very regulated schedule. Every morning at approximately 7 am (which quickly ends up being 9 due to Kakashi's lateness) they go the Hokage office to pick up a list of D-rank missions, which they spent the remainder of the morning fulfilling. It was kid's stuff, chores mostly, mow the lawn, gardening, chopping wood (which really irked Naruto for obvious reasons yet at the same time that mission was always left exclusively to him), even baby-sitting.

In the afternoon's they would always end in training, attempting to hone their teamwork. Inevitably, each team specialises in something. From his conversations with Asuma and Kurenai, their teams excelled at disabling opponents and tracking respectively. Maito Gai's genin team seemed to almost exclusively specialise in taijutsu and other forms of hand to hand combat.

It quickly became apparent that Team 7 were specialising in long-term guerrilla warfare, none of the three genin in their training would aim to finish the fight then and there but rather attack and quickly retreat. When Kakashi pursued they would always sacrifice ground rather than defend and would instantly scatter and regroup.

Sakura functioned as the shield, the team's distraction, covering fire expert and sometimes bait in most scenarios. Wherever she was, Kakashi knew that Naruto and Sasuke were very close. Using her well-above-average chakra control she could easily slip herself out of a tough spot and accurately throw explosive tags and kunai while on the run.

Sasuke was the spear, the counter-ambush specialist and executor. His eyes, even without the Sharingan, were perceptive enough to detect the layout of traps and his clan's signature fire jutsu came in very handy when bailing Sakura out of trouble when Kakashi did not feel like letting her get away so easily. If they were lucky, Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke would instantly converge on their target, probing for weakness in the opponent's defence with Sasuke inevitably using one of his shuriken to cause the 'death' (Kakashi would always slip away or it turns out at the last minute he was a bunshin) of the opponent.

Naruto was the hammer, the primary volley, counter-attack specialist and the ace-in-hole of the entire team. If detected, Sakura would instantly move, giving Naruto enough time to reach the target and attack using his strength to overcome their opponent. His taijutsu was not great, he was learning at a slow pace but still Kakashi would pity any poor soul who was on the receiving end of one of Naruto's uppercuts or rib hooks. Naruto's main purpose is to keep any opponent off balance and probe for weaknesses, try and find something that the infinitely faster Sasuke could use to their advantage. Ever since Kakashi used his _Shinjū__Zanshu_on Doppelus, Naurto quietly sent Darklings underground to make sure no one pulled that stunt again and to upset their sensei's footing, forcing Kakashi into the air where he would be more vulnerable. It was not uncommon for Kakashi to regularly use Doton jutsu to try and force the Darklings up into the light and thus dissipate.

However, despite all the plans they used, there was one fundamental reason behind their specialisation; if they could not defeat the opponent they hold them off until sundown. After that, as Kakashi knew, it was game over; once it was dark Naruto's summons would manifest everywhere, their sensei could barely get three feet away before being swarmed by the horrid creatures.

Most of the Darklings were not particularly strong or fast, but agile and incredibly vicious. Normally this would not faze the grey-haired jounin but if you have about a couple of hundred trying to eviscerate you, it started to pose a problem, especially since throwing a kunai at them just gives them more ammo to throw back at you. Even though Kakashi would never admit it, he had to use quite a few A and B Rank techniques to get away long enough to call it off.

It got to the stage where Naruto actually had to sit out a majority of night training sessions in favour for some one-on-one time with Kakashi (or at least Kakashi's clone) to refine the basic skills he sorely lacked, namely taijutsu. Needless to say it took great difficulty on Naruto's part to convince the Darklings to train without their help. Their zealous dedication to the blonde's safety was admirable but it significantly handicapped his ability to learn. After multiple attempts and a firm promise from Kakashi under threat of an agonisingly horrifying death, not to cause long lasting injury, the Darklings finally allowed his training, albeit under their watchful eye.

It started off slow, many a time Kakashi would quickly end a round with a simple leg sweep. However over the next few weeks, Naruto finally managed to pick up his hand-to-hand combat skills; his posture was more relaxed and his hand speed quadrupled to the quality of a genin.

Next was basic jutsu, which needless to say was shocking; after many attempts there was some improvement albeit far from extraordinary. Basic abilities such as _Kawarimi __no __Jutsu,_ _Bunshin __no __Jutsu_ and _Henge __no __Jutsu_ were incredibly easy to perform (in some cases they could be done automatically without any hand seals) during night time or at least in a location where there were significant shadows. However problems started to occur when Naruto tried to perform the same techniques during the day.

_Kawarimi_ was surprisingly straight forward, however Naruto was unable to replace himself with a log or rock, instead a very annoyed and aggressive Darkling (usually Doppelus) would take his place. This would be a perfect counter however they could only manifest within the folds of Naruto's coat limiting this ability to one-time only, while Sasuke and Sakura could perform it multiple times with no breaks. Naruto started saving money to purchase similar coats and hats to allow multiple Darklings to exist during the day.

_Bunshin_ was the easiest yet at the same time the most difficult techniques for the genin. Naruto could not simply perform a straight-up clone, end of story. If it came down to it, Doppelus (and more recently, several other Darklings including Gangerus, Rorrim and Enolc) would step into the fray, however they could only fight if the battle took place at night or where there were a lot of shadows or alternatively, they were hiding under Naruto's trench coat and straw hat.

_Henge_ again was possible but limited, Naruto could alter his appearance and quite convincingly (he took on several forms including an old woman and his sensei). However, again this could only be done if he was covered with his coat and straw hat or alternatively if he was in shadow. Once light got through, the facade crumbled instantly.

Atop of their regular meetings, his late night study sessions from the Academy Library and Konoha Public Centre, Naruto became a far-cry from his initial ignorant self and quickly became something worthy of the title 'genin'.

0o0o0o

"We finally caught him...again." Sakura looked like she was about to collapse, gripping her chest her lungs starved for air.

"Under twelve hours, a new record." Sasuke muttered, it was the fifth time that Team 7 was tasked with capturing Tora, the cat of the Feudal Lord's wife. It was always difficult to take care of missions that involved animals, namely because Naruto absolutely terrified them. He did not mean it mind you it was just animals did not like him in any way shape or form, end of story.

One mission involved having to look after a local family's pet bird, a parakeet, however when Naruto got within two meters, the squawking bird dropped flat on its back gasping for air. When they took it from the vet where they discovered the bird had a seizure (a minor one but nonetheless), which was weird as it never had one before then. Naruto was devastated and refused to set foot back in the house, opting instead to take another 'D-rank' mission involving manual labour, with Kakashi as his supervisor.

Since that time, animal missions were a big 'no-no' in Team 7's book, however every now and then Tora escaped his owner and they have to pick up the slack. It turned out that Tora escaped so frequently that there is hardly a day that goes by when a team is not selected to go find her.

Team 7 usually ended up pursing him minus Naruto, however recently they tried a new tactic; as Tora moved away from the blonde genin with zeal they decided that it would be best that Naruto circle around where they suspected Tora was and force him towards Sasuke and Sakura. Although it theoretically worked, Tora is rather spry regularly dodging both of their capture nets.

They found her in a dark alley (bad mistake on the cat's part) and that was when Naruto, frustrated with the cat summoned a Darkling behind Tora and snatched her by the tail. The screeching the cat made was a sight to behold.

"Oi Naruto, where is Tora?" Kakashi mused.

"Tora well she is...here...god dammit Gibbs stop it!" Naruto was yelling at a small creature huddled under a small bundle or rags that Naruto regularly carried for Darklings so they could manifest in daylight. They looked like miniature mummies. This particular Darkling looked relatively normal except for the big writhing bulge in his right cheek.

_**"****Wmm?**__**"**_ The Darkling queried, trying to avoid opening its mouth.

"Drop it!" Naruto smacked the side of it head, where the Darkling promptly spat out a very drenched ball of fur.

"Oh my baby!" A rather heavy set woman ran towards the pathetic mess and gave it a big cuddle in its arms. For the first time that Team 7 had seen, Tora seemed actually glad to see its master again. "Come on, we'll take you home. How about some nice tuna?" The verbose woman, the Feudal Lord's wife handed the fee to administration and promptly walked out cooing to her cat.

Naruto breathed a sigh of relief when the woman did not ask to reprimand the whole team as to the condition of her cat, but he had a feeling that a majority of the people in the room, the Sandaime included were very amused by the ordeal.

_**"****I**__** was **__**going **__**to **__**eat**__** that **__**Boss.**__**"**_ The Darkling muttered within the confines of the rags that he was enshrouded by.

"Okay now what have we got here?" The Sandaime muttered. "Now, how about babysitting the Yakamishi twins?"

_**"****YES!**__** Boss,**__** take **__**that **__**one!**__**"**_ The Darkling jeered.

The Sandaime sighed as he tossed the mission scroll back into the pile, he learned from the 'Koido incident' that when the Darklings want to do something it normally involves some poor child getting nightmares for a week. "Naruto keep your...whatever they are under control. Don't make me give you the lecture again."

Naruto's cheeks turned an uncomfortable shade of red, he whispered "We'll deal with this later." The Darkling promptly pouted and crossed his arms in defeat.

"Okay...ah here's one: tilling the Takada farm, turns out Tema injured his back and can't look after the place for a couple of days."

Although no one could hear it, Naruto could see a sigh escaping from Sakura. Sasuke was perfectly poise, but the slight drooping in his shoulders indicated he was crestfallen about doing 'hack-shinobi work'. They wanted a real mission, well at least a C-rank mission, but Naruto had a distinct feeling that he would not get it without a fight.

"Sandaime-sama..." Team 7 and the Hokage faced the blonde with mild curiosity. "...could we have something a little more...challenging?"

The Hokage immediately caught onto Naurto's meaning and leaned into his chair, pipe in his hands a sly smile on his face. "Challenging? You mean like getting rid of those wasp nests in the southern quarter?"

"You know what I mean." Naruto did his best to maintain his composure but even he thought that was a pretty good come back. "Something interesting that can test our skills." Naruto gazed at his two teammates on his right sending out a 'give me a hand here' vibe, he knew that Kakashi-sensei would not help, not because he was lazy but rather he...okay maybe it was because he was lazy but that did not matter.

"We have been performing well above standards for a genin team." Sasuke took the stage. "We have completed all sixty-two missions we have been allocated."

"What about the Tapashi incident?" The Sandaime's eyes narrowed but more in a genuine query rather than a malicious taunt.

"She got her shoes back." Kakashi sighed.

"That thing with Tapashi's cousin?"

"It was her fault that she did not tell us she had a possum in the cupboard."

"What about that Ramen incident in the northern quarter?"

"We said completed, not completed perfectly. Besides you can't prove it was us." Sasuke did not lose any sleep over the fiasco a month ago.

"What about the Koido incident?" The Hokage had a smile across this face, as if daring Team 7 to argue.

"Technically, we did babysit the girl." Sakura chimed.

"And scared her halfway to death. She still has nightmares according to her parents."

_**"****Hey! **__**Forehead-chan**__** said **__**she **__**had **__**to**__** go **__**to **__**bed, **__**what **__**did **__**the **__**girl **__**say?**__**"**_The Darkling's voice turned strangely effeminate and child-like although very distorted. _**"'**__**No,**__** my **__**daddy**__** let**__**'**__**s **__**me**__** stay **__**up **__**as **__**long **__**as **__**I**__** want!**__**'"**_ The Darkling's teeth gleamed from under the rags. _**"**__**So **__**we**__** educated **__**her **__**on **__**the**__** importance **__**of **__**going **__**to**__** bed **__**on **__**time.**__**"**_

"Going to bed on time?" The Sandaime ruffled around his desk and picked up a piece of paper. "By 'educated' do you mean stringing her up to the ceiling while saying 'Go to bed or we'll swallow your soul'?"

_**"****..."**_

"..."

_**"******__._..she_** went **__**to **__**bed **__**didn**__**'**__**t **__**she?**__**"**_ Naruto's palm made an audible smack against his forehead. _**"**__**C**__**'**__**mon **__**Forehead-chan,**__** back**__** me **__**up-oof!**__**"**_ Sakura punched Gibbs so hard that the wall it crashed into has a noticeable dent in its frame.

"Don't! Call! Me! Forehead-chan!" Sakura emitted an aura that seemed strangely like killing intent, even Sasuke looked fazed.

"Naruto, let's not forget that you skipped four years of training, let's also not forget that it normally takes four months before a genin team will get even remotely close to a 'C-rank' and finally do I need to remind you that you are still lacking some basic skills required by every genin. Can you even perform a _Henge_ during the day?"

Naruto remained silent, but everyone knew the answer.

"I thought not. Until you reach that skill set and until I think you are ready then it is 'D-rank' only missions for you." Saratobi felt a slight pang of guilt for lecturing the young blonde in front of his colleagues but nonetheless maybe a kick in the pants and a little extra push from his teammates might force him to go above and beyond.

Kakashi walked to the desk and picked up the latest mission sheet, the rest of the team were moving towards the door except one.

"...something else Naruto?" Saraobi lifted an eyebrow.

"...what is the current record?"

"Hm?"

"The record for most 'D-rank' missions completed in twenty-four hours."The Sandaime's other eye brow joined its brother in surprise.

"The record, huh?" Saratobi gestured to a nearby administrator who promptly gave him a black scroll. "Let's see...current record for completing the most 'D-rank' missions in a day is fifty-four."

"How about a bet then?" Naruto looked anything but confident but nonetheless held his ground, his team slowly moving behind him. "If we can break that record in twenty-four hours; you give us a 'C-rank' mission."

The Hokage did not miss a beat. "Absolutely not."

"What? Why?"

"D-rank missions are for genin experience; but I am not entirely convinced that Kakashi would not give a helping hand in some shape or form." Saratobi turned his gaze to the silver haired jounin who scratched his head with nervous laughter.

"Send an independent investigator to make sure that he does not assist us." Naruto turned to see Sasuke step forward, unlike the blonde he was confident and his posture was the epitome of perfect.

"Hmph...what do you think Iruka?" Saratobi turned to the chunin who was hiding behind a small mountain of scrolls. His head shot up in surprise gazing at both the Hokage and Team 7.

"It's their prerogative." Iruka commented. "But I feel I must warn them that many genin teams have tried to break it but the record has been in place for nearly fourteen years."

"True." The Hokage nodded. "But there seems to be a final issue as to the wagers."

"If we win, you give us a C-rank mission." Naruto quipped.

"And if you lose?" Saratobi smiled mischievously as he saw all three genin pause at the concept.

Sakura was the first to pipe up. "Kakashi-sensei has to give up those orange books of his for a month."

"Huh...wait...what?" Their sensei's revealed eye widened in shock. "Wait, don't put me in the middle of-"

"I accept that." Saratobi looked forward to Kakashi actually having to make eye contact for once without those stupid books in his hand.

"Ugh...Sakura we have to talk."

"Anything else?" The Hokage gazed at the three genin but when none of them spoke he made a suggestion. "How about you do as many D-rank missions until both Kakashi and I say you are ready?"

He could see Sakura and Sasuke squirm under his gaze, it was not an unreasonable request but at the same time they may be stuck doing 'hack-shinobi work' for a long time to come. Naruto looked partially jaded partially excited.

"Deal." Naruto's mouth curled into a bright smile.

"Okay. Come back bright and early first thing."

"Nope, we'll take the missions now."

Saratobi stared at the clock on the wall, it was nearly four hours till close of business. "Expecting to complete all those missions in four hours, I appreciate your dedication but that is impossible."

"If I remember correctly, I asked how many missions can be completed in twenty-four hours, not a day. That means we can start whenever we want."

"What does it matter if you start now, it is going to get dark soon...oh." The Hokage silently cursed himself, of course Naruto wanted to do it now, with six hours of daylight remaining he had a further ten hours of night in order to complete the missions...and with those Darklings who needs bunshins.

_Dammit, why did I not think of that before. Okay then Naruto, try this on for size._

"Okay, Naruto. I will accept, but on one extra condition."

"Reneging on the bet, Sandaime?" Naruto sounded a little too coy for his own good but nonetheless the Hokage let it pass. The joys of being young.

"Every single mission must be perfect completions. Not one single complaint, got it? If I get one, you lose the bet." Team 7 stared at their blonde comrade who was currently sweating, every complaint they got is because those stupid Darklings did something. The Darklings were loyal, no one would dare presume otherwise, however they are only loyal to Naruto and absolutely refused to listen to anyone else. If Naruto gave them an order, they would follow it to the letter. If one of his teammates asked them to do something they were anything but compliant. Furthemore, Naruto is still coping with his 'gift', the blonde cannot control every single Darkling at all times, as such a few of them are left to their devices every now and then; and that is when the trouble begins.

"If that is the case, there should be no missions that involve animals...and babysitting." Sakura smirked.

"That sounds fair, we have more than enough." The Hokage gestured at the scrolls around the room. "I will keep the mission centre open just for tonight so they can receive your reports. I will also inform the relevant clients about when their mission will be done."

Saratobi nodded to several people scattered around the rooms who were searching the endless piles of scrolls around the office, picking and choosing each mission against their criteria. Within a matter of minutes, a small pile of _fifty-five_ scrolls was laid in front of Naruto who quickly shoved them into his pockets where the promptly vanished to who knows where.

"I look forward to hearing your results twenty three hours and fifty-nine minutes." The Hokage nodded as he placed his pipe back in his mouth. "Oh, Kakashi, be a sport and leave your entire Icha Icha collection on my desk first thing in the morning."

Kakashi's face was unreadable, but Naruto felt a vibe coming off him that seemed to be depression. Team 7 turned and slowly head to the door.

"Oh and Team Kakashi?" They turned to see a genuine smile from the Hokage. "Good luck."

0o0o0o

A/N: Well gang, there you have it! I really enjoyed this chapter and I hope you did too.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I hope to see you in 2012!


	18. Chapter 17: The Record

Well guys, here it is, the latest chapter in the series. Again this is Australian spelling.

I must say the story was on hold while waiting for Darkness 2 to come out and I must say it was worth the wait. Very good story if not a bit too short. Another factor to those who read the comics, they may have noticed a few changes in traditional Darkness mythology in the game. For all intentions, the mythos of the Darkness in this story will try and form a delicate balance between the comics and the games.

Before we get into it a few questions that need to be answered:

Naruto's abilities: 'will he get the armour from the comics and the game and the two tentacle demon head things?' Yes, he will, those abilities will manifest in the Land of Wave Arc.

Angelus: will she show up? Not for a while. Generally, the Angelus shows up immediately after the Darkness user manifests, if she does not there is usually a reason (take that what you will).

Inuzuka; listen their jerks, but they have a reason for being jerks, the reason the Aburame are silent is they rationalise it as something to avoid rather than fight, it is the same instinct just different ways of reacting to it.

Does anyone know what the Darkness is? Well I thought that was established by the story, the answer is a no. Danzo on the other hand has his suspicions (hence his travel to Uzushio (Land of Whirlpools)).

"Hi." – Normal talking.

_Hi _– Normal thinking.

"_**Hi."**_ - Darklings

_**Hi **_– Darkness talking

_Oni no Kuni –_Land of Demons (see the Shippuden Movie for more details)

_Nami no Kuni – _Land of Waves.

Special thanks to my beta, ABitterPill and DylanMillwood.

**Chapter 17: The Record**

Team 7 sat in front of Ichikaru Ramen ordering their prospective favourite meals. Somehow Kakashi had managed to pull his 'eat without taking off his mask' trick again. Although, it was meant to be a casual meal there was more tension and excitement than usual.

Sasuke's jaw line was a little more firm, paling his cheeks. Sakura on the other hand seemed giddy with anticipation almost spinning in her seat.

"So team, have you got a plan?"

"Hmm?" Sakura turned to her sensei. "Plan?"

"Sakura, you are going for the D-rank record. There has not been a genin team that has successfully surpassed it in fourteen years." Kakashi handed his bowl to Ayame. "You do not just go into it blindly without some kind of plan."

"Judging by the way Naruto talked, he is planning on using those Darkling's as the primary method." Sasuke stared straight ahead, wrinkling his nose in distaste. Sure the Darklings were 'helpful' on occasion, but their merciless insults really got on his nerves. Normally, Sasuke would just use his trade mark 'Death Glare' on Naruto who would quickly try to rail them in. The blonde tried to make them stop and on occasion had forced them to apologise however it was obvious they were anything but.

Throwing names such as 'Emo-freak' were bad enough, but it quickly devolved into more crude names. In one instance several weeks ago, the snobby Darkling, Goldbrick called him 'Orphan-san' and Sasuke promptly set the whole training ground ablaze. Furthermore, Sakura got so incensed that she decked Naruto with an extremely nasty punch to the face. _That_ got the Darklings attention very quickly and although they were limited by the day, they did manage to throw a tree like it was a kunai directly at Sakura just missing her head. It did not help that it was their version of a _warning shot_. The rest of the team realised very quickly that the only reason the Darklings did not hurt, maim or kill them was strictly because of Naruto. If he was genuinely angry with any of them, although Kakashi would hold his own, Sasuke and Sakura would not last long against them.

Although Naruto insisted they were summons, the absence of hand seals, tattooed summoning seals or use of blood was more indicative of a natural ability. Through private investigations with the Hokage and a few other former ANBU, the only records of a natural summons were in Iwa and in _Oni no Kuni_, but they could not discern any further details.

"I know it is not your preferred option but it is our best shot and you know it," sighed Naruto.

"I will acknowledge that they can certainly save time, provided they are willing to help out," Kakashi interrupted "but we both know that is a rare occurrence. It takes more time convincing them than it does to actually do the mission."

"But once I convince them, they can perform a job in a fraction of the time it takes for all of us to complete one."

"That is another factor, at least a dozen Darklings will be needed to complete the mission in half the time and considering they can only work en masse during the night, we have until sunrise to use them to their full potential. I have only seen about two hundred Darklings around you at any one time, even during our night sessions."

"How many will we need in order to complete fifty five missions in one night?" Sakura turned to the small bundle or rags that were clinging under Naruto's coat like a small child.

"_**Fifty-five? In one night?"**_ Gibbs mused. _**"I would say upwards of a thousand ought to do it."**_

"You make it sound simple." Sasuke snorted.

"_**Watch to the attitude Sasuke. Like we said to the Boss, the only limit he has is his imagination. He just has to think big."**_

"A thousand Darklings?" Sakura raised a skeptical brow.

"_**Very big."**_

"We are required to make fifty-five perfect completions. Can you control that many, Naruto?" Sasuke queried. Naruto remained silent through the exchange thinking up a plan. If Kakashi is out, then it is just the three of them, and the problem with Darklings is that if they are not busy they will get bored, and if they get bored, they will cause trouble. This means that someone who is not a Darkling has to tell them what to do, and Naruto cannot be everywhere at once to monitor their progress.

"With you delegating duties to them, they will stay in line." This raised the eyebrows of the whole team.

"Darkling's listening to us?" Sasuke sounded surprised.

"Humour me, if I give them a mission they will complete it and come back to me for another one, but during that time they have enough time to themselves to do something and I will end up getting in trouble. However, if all three of us spread out, they will have less time to get into trouble."

Sakura paled. "Naruto be serious, as if they would listen to us. They are more likely to try and pull my hair or throw another tree at me."

"They will if I delegate full authority and issue a punishment should they not comply." Naruto felt a claw tighten around his leg; Gibbs did not like what he heard.

"Well as long as I am not partnered with that pervert, Xran." Sakura scowled as she finished her ramen. "I still have not gotten over the fact they he tried to peek under my skirt."

"I said I was sorry about that." Naruto's cheeks turned a bright red. _Dammit Xran_.

"Nor I with Goldbrick or Pollock, I will not be held responsible for my actions if they are with me." Sasuke growled, his voice filled with venom.

"Fair enough." Naruto knew there were enough Darkling's to go around, but at the same time he was curious as to what would happen once night came along. _A thousand Darklings? Gibbs did not even blink, how many of them are there?_

_**They won't listen to you, you know.**_ The Darkness swirled within his stomach, slowly inching along his spine.

_Don't bother me Darkness, if you are not going to help me then shove off._

_**How rude, Naruto. Is my little vessel getting arrogant? Getting bored?**_

_If we don't pass this record, we are not going to get a C-rank. That means no chance of conflict or blood. I thought you would be desperate to help out._

_**Pfft, why do I need to help you get a C-rank when we have plenty of sport here? We have the entire Inuzuka Clan begging to be devoured? **_The Darkness's voice echoed in Naruto's ears. _**What about your teammates or your sensei? They might as well have big tattoos on their forehead saying 'Please kill me.'**_

_Don't even joke about that._ Naruto's face hardened as images of his comrade's demise flooded his mind's eye. The Darkness was getting a kick out of watching its host squirm.

_**Oh I am not joking. The offer will always be on that table, Naruto. You just have to reach out and grab it.**_

_They are my friends._ Naruto was surprised when he realised his response, judging by the sudden stall of the black cloud flooding his senses, the Darkness was shocked as well.

_**My hosts don't have friends Naruto. My Inheritor's don't need friends.**_ The Darkness ebbed away leaving Naruto, at least for a while. _**But remember Naruto, I invested in you for twelve years, only because you have potential for carnage, not because I like you. I may be forever but my patience is not.**_

_Whatever you say._ Naruto dismissed the Darkness as he had done before. The Darkness claims to have so much influence, but apart from this occasional burst or irrational hatred or visions Naruto felt well in control of this 'gift' of his.

"Naruto...Naruto!" A feminine yell filled his ears.

"Hmm. Sakura?" Naruto turned to see his two teammates and his sensei stare at them with a silent curiosity.

"You were doing that zoning out...thing again." Sasuke huffed.

"Yeah sorry about that, I was just thinking." Naruto may think the Darkness was all talk, but when it came to its secrecy it was deadly serious. The Darkness swore that it would take action if Naruto started to blab about it, and despite all the jokes and the dismissals, Naruto knew a legitimate threat when he heard it.

Whenever he got into conversations with the Darkness, Naruto seemed to enter his own little world where not even a smack to the head would catch his attention. His teammates thought it was strange as it happened at irregular times, but Naruto insisted it was nothing. Naturally they thought otherwise.

"You better not do that during these missions." Sakura sounded concerned but otherwise shrugged off Naruto's strange trance. _It's funny,_ she thought_, I initially found Naruto's weirdness disturbing, but now I just find it a minor nuisance._

"I won't."

"Either way. I think it would be best in case the Darklings don't comply." Sasuke turned to the masked jounin. "Kakashi-sensei, how did the original team set the record?"

"_Kage bunshin_." Kakashi mused but dismissed the explanation as a mere fact.

"_Kage bunshin_?"

"Yep, a special type of clone that has a real body, not a false image."

Sasuke's eyes widened. "I would like to learn that. Could you teach us?"

"Unlikely, it is a jounin technique Sasuke. You will need a lot of training, even if you did have the Sharingan it draws off chakra very quickly. Besides do you really expect to master that technique in less than twenty-four hours?" Kakashi countered the annoyed glare from the Uchiha with one of his trademark blank stares. Many people say that Kakashi would be a champion at poker, even without the mask.

"How did a genin team use a jounin technique that well?" Sakura queried. "What kind of team is that strong?" Kakashi shrugged in response.

"Does it matter? I suggest you think of something fast, otherwise you will only get a C-rank when I say you are ready." Kakashi stretched his legs. "And if all three of you blindly rushed into this bet, then it may be a while."

All three genin stared at their bowls with a mixture of nervousness and apprehension. They all seemed to share the same 'what have I gotten myself into look'.

Kakashi paused a minute before speaking again. "But for what it is worth, I'll be cheering for you on from the sidelines." He promptly vanished before they could turn to face them, however he knew that their smiles returned to their faces.

"Well gang, want to head over to my place and discuss what we will do from there? Sakura-chan, got the missions scrolls?" When Naruto saw Sakura pat the backpack on the ground next to her, they all reached into their wallets, but they realised they were still short.

"Wait a minute! Kakashi-sensei left us with the tab? AGAIN?" Naruto fumed; the masked jounin was a master of the 'dine and dash'. The blonde had no excuse to not see it coming.

"What kind of sensei sticks his students with his bill?" Sakura scoffed in disgust as she pulled out a few more bills.

"Never mind that." Team 7 gazed at the old man on the other side of the bench, a warm smile on his face. "It's on the house, your sensei is not the only one who will be cheering for you."

"Thanks old man." Naruto smiled, he turned to see Sasuke jerk his head, indicating that they should get going. "Trust me, we'll be back with the new record under our title."

0o0o0o

The sun was just starting to set, the sky turning blood red in response. The three genin and the small Darkling, Gibbs settled around Naruto's small cabin in the hills. Once they got inside, they quickly pulled out all the scrolls and separated them into differing piles: manual labour, gathering, lost and found, manufacturing, administrative and non-Darkling missions.

The six non-Darkling missions dealt heavily with people and it was decided one of the three genin would alternate between them rather that one of the Darklings who would rather scare and/or insult the clients.

Once the piles were set, Naruto went outside to observe a darkened sky.

"Okay gang, this is it. You might want to take a step back." Naruto turned to his two teammates who promptly complied. The blonde felt a tug on his pant leg and turned down to see the small Gibbs who dispensed with the rags and wrappings covering him to reveal his small body with bat-like ears.

"_**Remember, Boss; Think. Big."**_ Gibbs smiled its toothy smile. _**"You do that and the world is your oyster."**_

"Think big, huh?" Naruto closed his eyes and let his mind drift. His mind first thought about numbers; tens, hundreds, thousands. Piles of money that formed mountains, gigantic hills that reached to the sky, fields that went on to the horizon and beyond, and oceans without end. He could feel the temperature drop around him and could hear the sound of crackling and movement. Naruto felt strangely nauseated; a strange gurgling in his stomach. Naruto knew he could not stop and proceeded to fight past the unpleasant sensations; caves so long that the echoes could be carried on forever...and a void so deep that it was almost maddening.

"Oh my God." Sakura gasped. Naruto felt Gibbs emit a small chuckle.

"_**Look Boss."**_

Naruto opened his eyes and stared straight ahead at the countless eyes that stared back from the shadows.

0o0o0o

"_**Xran! I thought I would never see you again! Dammit!"**_ One Darkling jeered. Naruto's grin stretched from ear to ear as he gazed at the sea of Darklings before him, there was so many that they stretched beyond the clearing and around the forest, all of them abuzz with conversation.

"_**Wow...I am so outta here...is this the Boss?...Frutz you magnificent bastard! How've ya been?...Hey guys I think I see a strip club in that town...Awesome! Let's steal some guys kidney!...Ha!Ha!...What is up Konoha!...Where is the enemy? I want to eat an enemy!...Blah, blah, blah...Where are the babes? I was promised there would be babes...Well there is a hospital nearby I am sure we can get into the nursery...Show me the money!...Here...That is a frying pan...WHEEE! "**_

"Hey guys! Keep it down." Naruto spoke and the Darkling's went silent, it felt strangely gratifying to have an audience hanging on your every word. "Thanks, now guys I need your...ugh."

"Naruto are you okay?" Sakura put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, but he promptly threw up a strange black liquid all over the grass. "Naruto! Are you okay?"

"_**It's okay Sakura-chan."**_ Frutz stepped forward. _**"He is just suffering from the blow back from summoning too many of us."**_

"Huh?"

"_**The longer the Boss learns, the more of us he can naturally manifest. He can summon more than his natural quota by concentrating, but there will be consequences."**_

"Consequences?" Naruto turned his gaze to Gibbs who seemed to shiver. "You never told me about consequences."

"_**Nothing major, Boss! You will just not be feeling so crash hot for the majority of the time." **_Gibbs held up his hands in defence. _**"Don't worry, your abilities are like a muscle; the more you exercise it, the better you will become."**_

"Ugh." Naruto groaned as he felt more of the foul tasting bile rise up his throat.

"_**So Boss, what is the occasion?"**_ Frutz raised an eyebrow. _**"Do we get to babysit the Koido girl again?"**_

"We are going for the record." Sasuke paused momentarily when thousands of eyes shifted from Naruto to him. "And we need your help."

"_**You want our help?"**_ One Darkling turned to Goldbrick in surprise, who promptly rolled his eyes. _**"Is he serious?"**_

"_**See what I've been talking about?"**_ Goldbrick glared at Naruto with a mixture of disappointment and anger. _**"At this rate we'll be lucky to maim a chicken much less a person."**_

"_**Quiet Goldbrick."**_ Frutz's eyes momentarily widened in surprise at the blue-eyed Darkling's scornful remark.

"_**Screw you, Frutz."**_ Goldrbick's stare did not waver. _**"What is this record you're talking about?"**_

Naruto frowned as he handed the three small piles in front of the Darklings, his eyes returning a venomous stare. Generally, all the Darklings were a very agreeable bunch, granted they whined like a spoilt child when he refused to allow them to do something but they were very loyal and friendly...at least to him. However, there were a few exceptions, namely Goldbrick and his crew, Naruto had a distinct feeling that his predecessors, whoever they were, were not a friendly bunch. With Naruto's lack to kill anything and his promise to the Hokage; Goldbrick and a few other Darklings did not seem happy being subservient to the blonde.

Goldbrick held a scroll in its hands reading it thoroughly, another scroll held tightly in the grip of its snake-like tail. _**"Transport two crates of apples to the Konoha Southern Market?"**_ The already frowning Goldbrick spat out the mission title with the kind of hatred reserved for paedophiles and murders. _**"I am willing to bet that all these missions are very similar to this one."**_

"Not exactly, we-"

"_**Do we get to kill anyone?"**_

"No."

"_**Maim and torture somebody? Eat them?"**_

"No to both questions."

"_**Then they are the same."**_ Goldbrick dropped the scrolls as if they contained some contagious disease.

"I should probably get this out of the way; you will have to partner up with my teammates." Naruto gestured to the rather awkward looking Sasuke and Sakura. "They will monitor your progress and depending on the mission you will report back to them."

If there was a bird to be found that particular night, Naruto was sure that its chirping would have been deafening, but animals tended to vanish like a bat out of hell when Naruto was around and even more so when his minions showed. So, Naruto had to settle for eerie silence.

"_**...what?"**_ Frutz seemed very worried giving side glances to Goldbrick's camp who were looking down right murderous.

"_**See what I'm talking about?"**_ The blue eyed snake glanced to the Darklings behind him. _**"Twelve years of waiting and we get a pansy."**_

Naruto felt the Darkness laugh in the back of his mind. _**I told you they won't listen.**_

"_**GOLDBRICK!"**_ Frutz's green eyes took a dangerous shade of red. _**"Do you remember what we discussed? Are you that eager to die?"**_

"_**Oh blow it out your ass, Frutz."**_ Goldbrick held out his hands in 'bring it on' posture. _**"Go ahead, assuming you can Requisition me, and I doubt that by the way, you think you can just scare us into line?"**_

"_**I am not having this conversation."**_ Frutz made a motion behind him, and several other Darklings gathered behind him showing some unpleasantly sharp claws. _**"Especially in front of the Boss."**_

"_**This isn't the Boss, Frutz."**_ Goldbrick waved his hand to the blonde. _**"This is a mistake, never in my life have I encountered a Boss as boring as Naruto. This is grounds for a strike."**_ One of the Darkling's behind Goldbrick carved a tree into a makeshift sign saying 'Murder or Bust!'

Naruto blinked, that was the first time in a long time that a Darkling had referred to him by his name and not the 'Boss'. For the first time since Naruto had met Frutz, his unofficial right hand Darkling, he saw a rage in his face that he had not seen before.

"_**Boss, maybe you and your friends should take a walk for a minute."**_ The green eyed Darkling took a clawed hand to his mouth and wrenched out one of his sharp teeth from its gums, the tooth looked eerily like a dagger in the moonlight. _**"We need to take care of some business first."**_

Sakura almost cringed at the concept of a thousand Darklings fighting each other over the fact their master did not seem to satisfy their carnage quota, she side-stepped a little closer to Sasuke confident that in some way he could protect her. Sasuke stealthily pulled a kunai from his pouch, although this seemed to be Darkling business there was no sense in not being prepared; he had seen first -hand what they can do. The Uchiha cringed at the thought of failing this record, after all as the last Uchiha he was obligated to achieve great things but even he knew that completing fifty-five D-rank missions in under twenty four hours (now twenty hours) was next to impossible.

_I seem to have placed too much faith in Naruto's abilities; he appears to have a civil war on his hands._ Sasuke sighed as he slowly backed away, he could feel Sakura cling to his clothes as she matched his pace. The Darkling's insanity filled the hills with calls of violence.

"_**Well, this going to be awesome!...What are we going to go for? Shooting at ten paces?...Impale the Darkling in the head?... I love that game... Hey! Gibbs you're on the wrong side, get your ass over here!...HAHAHA!...Oops! Sorry!...Wait a minute...Goldbrick this is a bad idea?...What? Why?...Because we did not come up with a victory dance!...Do we really have to do this?...HA!...Relax Boss, this will be over before you know it...I don't fight for Boss... I would much rather hit a strip club...What?...I fight for penguins...Shut up you buckets of sick!...Thank you sir!...To sir with love...Wheee!...Hey, Scrum throw a rock into the air or something!... Hey Ruk, after I cut your head off do you want to get a cup of sake?...Sure, why not?...Ready ...Steady...And ...GO!"**_

And like that everything went to hell.

0o0o0o

"Sakura!" Sasuke cried. "Get down!"

The kunoichi felt herself get lifted off her feet by the Uchiha as he dashed inside Naruto's cabin. The slam of a door brought Sakura back to reality. She gazed up at the young Sasuke and once she came up to speed with the fact that she lay in his arms, her cheeks turned a red to rival her dress.

"You okay? Sakura?" Sakura had a bit of difficulty hearing Sasuke over the sound over her own heartbeat, but nonetheless heard his concerned tone.

"I-I'm alright. Thanks Sasuke-kun." She felt her feet touch the floor and was disappointed her knight in shining armour would not hold her a bit longer.

_OH GROW UP SAKURA!_ The pink-haired genin's mind was flooded with rage. _How are you going to get him to notice you if you zonk out when there is a war going on outside!_

With that she immediately leapt to the wall and leered to take a peek, her pounding heart froze in place. If there was any doubt as to the potential the devastation a Darkling could cause that was thrown out the window; the Darklings were absolutely murdering each other outside.

Dozens of Darklings ganging up against each other ripping off arms and legs like tissue paper, there was no blood, at least none that was red in colour, black sludge oozed across the miniature warzone. However, amongst the screams and curses, the two genin did not see any of them die, that became apparent when she saw Darkling 'A' currently beating Darkling 'B' with 'A's' own severed head.

As the carnage continued, Sakura dared to steal a peek at the stoic Uchiha's face; only see a kind of dread drift across his eyes and in that she realised his thoughts.

Those...things had been playing with them the entire time. Sasuke and Sakura would not stand a chance; even if there was a dozen they would be defeated in no time flat if the Darklings fought with the same intensity and hatred as they fought each other.

Trees fell amongst the fray, some were the result of one Darklings being thrown into it with greater than usual force, other to be used as rather large 'hammer' devices. Nonetheless, if their fighting continued any further then there will be little left on the hill side.

"ENOUGH!"

0o0o0o

The temperature dropped several degrees as the Darklings stared at their master, strange redish-gold irises radiated from the blonde with such intensity that his two teammates could feel the murderous gaze even though it was not directed to them.

"How dare you disrespect me?" Naruto fumed, his voice echoed across the valley. "Goldbrick! I am your master; you are my servant! YOU WILL OBEY ME!"

"_**Blow me, Naruto."**_ Goldbrick smirked his rather unpleasant smile. _**"Why should I obey you, when you don't even have the balls to kill the Inuzuka Clan."**_

Several Darkling's next to the blue eyed snake jeered in rhyme:

"_**We met a boy, who had a plan,**_

_**It involved the death, of the Inuzuka Clan!**_

_**Yet despite our agreement, the Boss did yield,**_

_**Against our advice, our point was sealed!"**_

"We have an understanding."

"_**Darkness Inheritors do not 'understand'! Inheritors do what they want and kill whoever says otherwise."**_ Goldbrick jabbed his tail accusingly at its master. _**"You are a disgrace; the Darkness should never have picked you!"**_

"_**Goldbrick!" **_Frutz yelled as he reattached is severed arm in place. _**"His teammates are there; SHUT UP!"**_

Goldbrick for once actually took Frutz's advice and after a rather long uncomfortable stare at Sakura and Sasuke who peered through the window, most likely deciding whether they should be deep-fried or grilled he continued._** "I will not be part of this fiasco. You violate the very nature of our existence doing this dredge work, Naruto. I will not co-operate and although you may try to order me and my crew, we will do everything to ruin what little standing you have in this village. Once enough people have tried to kill you, maybe you might become the Boss WE deserve!"**_

Naruto seemed partially stunned and although Sasuke and Sakura could not see his face, they were sure the blonde was ready to crack under the pressure.

"You know, Goldbrick, when you all first came to me you seemed _so_ adamant about my control and authority as your 'Boss'." Naruto's voice was eerily smooth and calm, and although it sent a chill down his teammate's spines, the Darkling's visibly shuddered. "It's funny; you made me sound like royalty, a supreme ruler...a dictator."

Goldbrick's eyes along with a several other Darklings narrowed, they had an idea of where this train of thought was going. "This is not a democracy Goldbrick. If I am a dictator then my orders are followed without question and those that disobey me are removed."

The hellish glare intensified. "How would you and your crew like to be locked in a box for the rest of your existence? Bound, gagged and hidden away from the world? From what I have seen in our training sessions, you cannot die, by Kakashi-sensei's hand or your own, but I think I can make sure you never come out again, whether it is through me or someone else."

"_**...bold claim kid."**_ Goldbrick guessed the blonde was bluffing. _**"But do you have the stones to back it up? Do you have the power?"**_

"Probably not now." Naruto conceded. "But I am sure I will in the near future." Naruto gestured out to the village. "So go ahead, ruin my stead in Konoha, make me an outcast, but rest assured when I get the power; I will make every second of your existence and those that stand with you as miserable as possible. Granted, considering you laugh at pain, I don't know what would make a Darkling miserable, but I WILL find out. Now I dare you to call me a liar, Goldbrick."

All eyes, human and Darkling alike stared at Goldbrick, hanging on with baited breath for what it would say next. To everyone's surprise, Goldbrick smiled. Even Naruto seemed stunned by the Goldbrick's sudden cheerful demeanour.

"_**That is what I was waiting for."**_

"...what?" Naruto's eyes reverted back to their natural blue hue.

"_**It's gone now."**_ Goldbrick sounded mildly disappointed but still happy_**. "I was worried that you did not have the stomach for this, if so I would have bailed." **_

Goldbrick raised a finger. _**"But just then, I saw a fragment of your predecessor, Naruto. You DO have that certain...viciousness about you. Not of the same calibre, but it is there; there might be hope for you yet."**_

"...what?" Naruto did not like being stared at like some dissected animal on the table of a very enthusiastic scientist.

"_**It does not matter, Boss."**_ Goldbrick's smile was ever so wide, teeth gleaming like ivory. _**"We all saw the rage you keep locked up, at least we know it is there now. But you shouldn't keep it suppressed Boss, it is bad for you and boring for us."**_

"So does that mean you will help?"

"_**For now."**_ Naruto was not exactly inspired with confidence but at least Goldbrick was happy seeing...whatever it was it saw.

"Can I at least call out my teammates?" Naruto glared. When silence answered his question he motioned to his two partners to leave the cabin, they did so reluctantly their gaze unwavering from the demonic swarm.

"_**So Boss, what now?"**_ Xran huffed.

"Well..." Naruto scratched the back of his head and Gibbs shifted uncomfortably. "Will you work with them? All of you?"

Several demonic eyes looked at Sasuke and Sakura (especially Sakura because they knew it creeped her out). Several of the Darklings mumbled curses and groans; even Frutz seemed reluctant to willingly agree.

"_**Do we positively...absolutely...unequivocally...surely...unquestionably...really truly...to a tee...firmly...unmistakably...with absolute certainty...matter of factly...undoubtedly... indubitably... undeniably...flat out...no ifs and buts have to?"**_

"Ummmm...yes?"

"_**Ugh..."**_ Frutz let out a deep sigh. _**"Okay, Boss you win."**_

Naruto turned to his teammates and gave a thumbs up. Sakura smiled a little while Sasuke looked less than thrilled, a lingering eye on the Darklings as he approached.

"Well you heard them; they'll work with us." Naruto turned to the large audience. "Okay guys, we have a lot of work to do and not much time to do it."

Naruto subsequently divided the large group of Darklings into approximately three equal groups, exceptions were made to ones that were meshed together like Mardon who was more or less five Darklings sharing one body; he looked like a combination of a multi-headed snake and an octopus.

"Now that you have your groups you will be allocated to one of my teammates."

"_**Hey Emo-freak, I knew you couldn't stay away."**_ Sasuke felt a cold chill crawl up his spine, Goldbrick blue eyes peered from under his shoulder. _**"This is our chance. We are going to be super-duper-friends."**_

"Naruto..." If Sasuke's voice did not reach the blonde, then his grinding teeth will. Naruto's eyes glared at Goldbrick.

"Goldbrick you and your group are not working with him."

"_**What? You mean we get to work with the girl?"**_ Goldbrick slithered underneath Sakura and curled up against the genin's leg, pining affectionately. _**"What is this Forehead? Did you make a special request for us? How sweet."**_

"Eek...!" Sakura reeled back from the Darklings embrace, dashing behind Sasuke hoping he will save her from the perverted thing.

"Goldbrick, you and your crew will be working with me. I will not allow you to torment my friends so keep your mouth shut." Goldbrick pouted as he slithered back to his group which was the largest of the three. "Oh and you are absolutely banned from going near the Aburame or Inuzuka compounds. If you do I will be VERY angry."

The Darklings nodded in silence though there was an obvious air of disappointment in their foreign eyes. Naruto turned to the green-eyed leader. "Frutz, you and your team are to go with Sakura. I trust you will look out for her, no funny antics."

"_**No probs, Boss."**_ Frutz and his group gathered around Sakura who seemed very concerned for her safety and health as 312 waist high Darklings slowly encircled her as hungry sharks would encircle injured prey. Sakura gulped as she picked out one of the scrolls in her pile.

"O-okay. Well our first mission is to clean up the mess in the central square so l-let's do that..." Sakura received blank expressions from the small sea of Darklings, their bat like ears twitched in scrutiny. She quickly sent a pleading look to the small Frutz who took her meaning.

"_**Well what are you gits waiting for? A free lap dance?"**_

One Darkling gazed at Sakura in a manner that made her want to shower._** "Well actually that would be nice. Is she offering?"**_

"_**That was rhetorical dipshit!"**_ Frutz delivered a very hard thump to the objecting Darkling's head. _**"You heard the lady, now move it!"**_

Sakura gazed at Frutz as it gave her a reassuring smile (or at least she thought it was anyway) as they moved down to the village.

"Xran, Dren you and your group will be working with Sasuke."

"_**Okay Boss, no problem."**_ Dren readjusted its glasses a small smirk across his face. Xran gave a mock salute, its bat-like ears twitching.

"By the way, you can't call him names." Naurto clarified.

A unanimous chorus of disappointed _**"Awwwww"**_'s filled the hills.

"No ifs and buts." Naruto growled. "Sasuke, if they give you any trouble, throw a kunai at their head. That should shut them up."

Naruto turned back to the frowning Darklings. "No, you cannot throw stuff back at him."

For the first time Sasuke showed a slightly eerie grin on his face which even made the Darklings have pause. Naruto had a distinct feeling that the Uchiha may be using this authority a little too liberally.

_Then again I suppose this is what you get when you call a person 'Emo-freak' for a while._ Naruto mused as the second group of Darklings gathered around the raven haired boy with a sense of quiet unease.

"Let's go." Sasuke jerked his head and his little battalion of 338 Darklings followed without so much as a sneer.

As Sasuke left the hill towards the village, Naruto finally turned to face his group. Goldbrick and all of his crew formed the majority of the large unit consisting over the remaining 350 Darklings. Naruto was not so sure they would be compliant with his teammate's directions even though they said otherwise. Goldbick sat atop the head of a large Darkling that towered over Naruto, its tail twitching slightly under its master's gaze.

"Are you guys ready?"

"_**We got all night, Boss." **_Goldbrick spoke with a voice as smooth as silk.

"Then let's go. Our first mission is in the western quarter." Naruto could feel the rumbling and patting of feet of different shapes and sizes follow him to Konoha.

"_**Hey Boss, after this is done can we hit a strip club?"**_

"...maybe." Naruto murmured.

"_**Really?"**_ Goldbrick's eyes lit up like fireworks.

"No."

"_**God dammit."**_

0o0o0o

A familiar howl woke Kiba up with a start. He leapt out of bed sending his bed sheets to the floor, his feet pounding towards the door. Kiba gazed out the little white dog standing near the paddock barking into the night.

"Akamaru, what's wrong?" As Kiba approached he could sense what his companion was so alarmed about; hell he could smell it. "Naruto."

"He's nervous. They all are." Kiba spun around to the source of the voice, his sister Hana stared from a chair in the adjoining kitchen. Her beloved Haimaru triplets sitting around her in a slightly dazed but unmistakeably alert fashion.

"Where's mom?"

"Currently near the main kennel. The older dogs are fine but she is checking up with younger pups, they are having trouble sleeping."

"His smell is...everywhere." Kiba turned to the open windows, placing a gentle hand on his white charge. "Are we okay?"

"The smell lingers over the entire village." Hana's eyes darkened. "Mom received word from the Hokage. Apparently Naruto is going for the 'D-rank record', he seems to be using those Darklings or whatever to complete it."

"Geez, what is the old man thinking?" Kiba tensed. "Maybe he is going senile." Hana remained silent, scratching the back of one of her hounds, who willingly accepted her affection.

"How are the Aburame taking it? Maybe I should go ask Shino." Kiba's feet slowly edged towards the sandals on the front porch.

"Bad idea."

"How so?"

"Because Naruto and his minions are forbidden from accessing the Inuzuka or Aburame compounds. However, there is nothing to say they cannot access areas in-between the two."

"And?"

"'And?'" Hana's eyes narrowed. "Kiba, I live over three blocks away; why do you think I am here?" When silence answered her question, the eldest let out a deep sigh. "I am here to make sure you don't do something stupid like leave the compound."

"Why?"

"You and your gang have caused Naruto nothing but trouble. This would be the perfect opportunity to grab you." Hana frown became more pronounced as she spoke. "What do you think Naruto is going to do once he gets his hands on you? What are his summons going to do?"

Kiba promptly bit his lip; what would the little abomination do to him? The Inuzuka heir could not care less about the blonde; he was certain he could take him in a fight. It was the summons that followed Naruto that worried Kiba. Despite following their orders to stay away from the Inuzuka, Kiba bumped into them from time to time.

The Darklings were always watching and smiling; putting on a show for anyone who would watch. However, Kiba felt a cold sweat build up as the merciless eyes gazed at their master's former tormentor. The only thing restraining them was explicit instructions from Naruto. The fact that the entire family compound could be surrounded by the creatures was not comforting in the slightest.

"Naruto can't do squat without his precious minions and they can only come out en masse during the night." Kiba huffed, placing Akamaru gently over his head, his companion appeared to be more comfortable. "Without them, he is still the weak little freak he always was."

"I have no doubt." Hana seemed hesitant. "But I would not go looking for trouble, Naruto has not willingly sought you out. You should offer him the same courtesy, freak or not."

"Pfft. Whatever sis. I'm going back to bed, come on Akamaru." Kiba slowly walked back to his room.

"I placed a sensor jutsu out your window and on the roof, don't even think about leaving."

"Yeah, yeah. Good night." Kiba's casual tone had a slight mixture of frustration; it was annoying having a sibling who knew what you were planning.

"Good night." Hana gazed into the eyes of her companions, with a mixture of worry and frustration. "What am I ever going to do with him?" _Apart from cutting his feet off with a kunai to keep him out of trouble._

The three dogs simply stared at each other, their heads slightly tilted; the canine equivalent of a shrug.

The elder sister sighed."...I wish dad were here, he would know what to do."

0o0o0o

"_**Well, we got that last repair done."**_ A Darkling pointed to a newly built fence. _**"The paint will take about an hour to dry."**_

"That's okay. People are still asleep." Sakura quickly furrowed over the missions

"_**Not if I had my way."**_ The Darkling grumbled.

"What?"

"_**Nothing."**_ The Darkling nodded to Frutz who stood next to Sakura, before he jumped onto the roof and out of sight.

Sakura raised an eyebrow but did not say anything. "Well, we seem to making it at a steady pace. If we keep it up, we will be finished well before dawn."

"_**I don't know..."**_ Frutz scratched one of his giant ears while mulling over a mission sheet. _**"Some of these will require a lot of work and preparation for a perfect completion." **_

Sakura glanced at the paper that Frutz held up. _**"'Cleaning the back stables in the Eastern Quarter.' The horses will not take kindly to us."**_

"Don't worry, the horses have been moved for the night. We should be fine."

"_**I don't share your optimism."**_ Frutz's face had a very notable frown.

"Look at it this way, we have completed about a third of the assigned missions. If we hurry to the Eastern Quarter we will be able to...Frutz are you even listening?" Sakura's annoyed stare was aimed directly at Frutz, who was staring off into space.

"_**I'm listening."**_ The Darkling returned her green gaze with calm emerald eyes that gleamed with such intensity that Sakura was almost tempted to look away. _**"But I am still keeping a look see on the Boss."**_

"Is he okay?" Sakura recalled the blonde vomiting sludge.

"_**For now."**_ Frutz stared back at the missions scrolls in its claws. _**"But I don't know if he can handle the whole night. A thousand Darklings is too much for such a new...nevermind."**_

Sakura jerked her head down the street and Frutz followed her with a hazy walk. _This may be a good time to actually get some background on these guys. If I get through to them, maybe they'll be nicer._

"So how did Naruto make a contract with you?" She tried to make is sound like regular chit-chat, but she noticed a sudden twitch in Frutz's ear.

"_**What?"**_ Frutz's eyes widened.

"You know...the contract to summon you...Darklings." Sakura's voice trailed off as she saw the body posture in Frutz grow more aggressive.

"_**Listen honey,"**_ Frutz held up a threatening claw, _**"this is not twenty questions. Don't think I am on your side. We are not fond of taking orders from anyone that is not the Boss. Especially a woman."**_

"But-"

"_**But nothing."**_ Frutz growled. _**"I am here with you because the Boss trusts me to follow his orders to the letter. I would never betray that trust in a million years."**_ Frutz sidestepped Sakura's stunned form and continued forward._** "Let's just get these missions over with."**_

_So much for chit chat._

0o0o0o

Kakashi sat under tree about half a kilometre away as he watched the pink haired genin wander off with Frutz in tow. The Darklings assigned to her stealthily moved amongst the treetops and the dark alleyways, the only thing giving away their presence was the moonlight.

_These guys work fast. It seems you three managed to pull it off._ Kakashi had to reconsider his thoughts. _More likely you guys have to keep working at it to ensure their compliance._

Kakash's gaze shifted towards what was happening in the Nothern Quarter. It seemed Sasuke was the quickest of the three so far; he managed to complete nearly eight missions while the other two complete about five or six.

"Are you watching this...Yamato?" Kakashi turned to the tree as something slowly crept from the wooden trunk. An ANBU with a tiger mask appeared from the depths appeared.

"You noticed me, I expect nothing less from Kakashi-sempai."

"So what are you doing here?" Kakashi smirked under his mask. "Shooting the breeze?"

"No." The ANBU separated himself from the tree and crouched next to Kakashi surveying the area. "The Sandaime wants to keep an eye on the team to make sure they are not cheating nor that they are causing any trouble."

"That would explain the other twenty-three ANBU darting around the village."

"_**Twenty-nine actually."**_

Both shinobi spun around to stare at small pair of Darklings suspended on a tree-branch, both had stubby bodies and long bat-like ears. There was a tension in the air as the ninja found themselves bamboozled by the demonic creatures.

"_**Oh what? You think we didn't know?"**_ One Darkling said to another.

"_**If there was a couple of us, maybe you could have slipped by us. But there is a thousand of us, you dumbasses. Of course we would notice you."**_

Kakashi was sure that Yamato's jaw dropped underneath the mask, but kept his focus on the creatures before them.

"What are you doing here?"

One Darkling pointed at a small bushel of apples on the ground below. _**"'Picking and delivering of apples from the Kaiko residence and sending them to the Western Quarter store'."**_The Darkling recited it with such boredom it seemed as if it would fall asleep.

"_**Lamest. Mission. Ever."**_

"_**Anyway we thought we would just say hello."**_

"_**Yeah...Hello!"**_ The Darkling jeered like a little schoolgirl.

"_**Keep it down you twat."**_

"Look...whatever you are." Yamato growled. "This is an official ANBU op, so don't go messing around with it."

"_**Cyclops, who is this guy?"**_ A Darkling jerked a thumb at the masked ANBU. _**"Besides, the old fart is spying on the Boss? Yeesh that is going to have some repercussions when we tell him."**_

"You could of course not tell him." Kakashi piped up.

"_**And why would we do that?"**_ The Darklings actually seemed amused.

"Because the last thing Naruto needs is this. He is under a lot of stress right now, this could send him over the edge." The Darklings shifted their feet but said nothing. "Besides we mentioned that we would send an independent investigator."

"_**Yeah 'investigator'; that is singular. Not a platoon of investigators."**_

"Is there anything that we could do that we prevent you from telling Naruto he is being...observed?"

"_**Well, there is no harm coming to him. We could be persuaded not to tell him for eighty ryu."**_

"_**Eighty? Make it two hundred, and no, we do not accept cheque."**_

Kakashi and Yamato nearly fell out of their tree. "You want money?"

"_**Oh, yeah. Money is awesome; you could buy hookers with money."**_

"_**And if you kill them, you get it back. Killing solves all problems man!"**_ The Darklings subsequently gave each other high-fives.

"Unbelievable." Kakashi fumbled through his pouch and pulled out the required bribe. "Here you go."

"_**Awesome!"**_ One Darkling snatched the money greedily with its talons.

"_**Thanks Cyclops, we won't say a word."**_ And with that the two Darklings disappeared, apples and all. Two stunned shinobi were all that remained of the small encounter.

"I can't believe that worked." Kakashi let out a deep sigh, leaning against a tree branch. "That seemed almost too easy."

"I think it was." Yamato fumbled around his pockets slightly dazed. "I think one of them stole all my kunai...and my shuriken. And I am pretty sure the other stole that orange book you always have."

"Huh?" Kakashi quickly rummaged through his back pouch and sure enough, the familiar book was gone. "Oh those little bastards."

Although both ninja could not see them, they could swear they heard the unpleasant sound of Darklings sniggering from the shadows.

0o0o0o

"Okay guys, we are behind schedule. Move it." Sasuke stood on a small balcony as he oversaw the swarm of Darklings cobbling together their mission which was to rebuild a statue.

"_**Hey Em-...Sasuke. We are moving as fast as we can –urk."**_ Xran pulled out another kunai that was lodged firmly in his head. He promptly fell over with a grunt. _**"Ouch."**_

"_**You know Sasuke, this is really starting to get old."**_ Dren readjusted his glasses, slightly perturbed at what is unfolding. Getting kunai thrown at them was normal; not being allowed to fight back was a new one. _**"We would work faster if you stopped throwing kunai at us. It is harder to work when you have brain damage."**_

"Well then you should work faster. I am being efficient; I give you incentive to work harder and I get to target practice." Sasuke twirled a shuriken between his fingers looking for the next Darkling that was not pulling his weight.

Dren stared at the smiling Uchiha with mild amusement. _**"It must be interesting being a human."**_

"How so?"

"_**You float backwards and forwards between superiority and inferiority."**_ Dren gestured at himself. _**"Darklings do not change. My appearance or personality has not changed for a long time. Xran and Gibbs and all the boys are the same now as they were at the beginning."**_

"Get to your point Dren."

"_**My point is that, you were cowering in fear of us about six hours ago." **_Dren mused to himself. _**"Now you are confidently attacking us."**_

Sasuke stared at the diminutive Darkling with a slight frown across his face. _**"You do realise that the only reason we are here is because the Boss told us, ORDERED us, to be here right?"**_

"Hmm." Sasuke mumbled.

"_**Then you do realise that the moment he stops liking you, your ass is ours right?" **_Dren's sharp teeth gleamed in the night. _**"And throwing kunai at us is not going to earn you a quick death when that happens...right?"**_

"That would never happen." Sasuke stared back at the small crowd of Darklings that scurried across the Northern Quarter. "We are teammates." The Uchiha nearly said something else but quickly clammed up.

"_**For now Sasuke."**_ Dren smirked as it walked down to its brethren. _**"But you seem to forget one thing..."**_

"Which is?" Sasuke's voice grew tense as the conversation continued. Dren turned with a very creepy smile on its face.

"_**You're an Uchiha. The Uchiha who survived...you know what that means right?"**_

"How do you-"

"_**Relax Sasuke."**_ Dren held a finger to its sharp jaws. _**"Our little secret...for now. But I would suggest that you lay off the kunai or maybe we should tell the Boss what you really are."**_

The shuriken stopped twirling in his hand. Sasuke was dumbfounded. _How the hell did the Darklings know about the massacre and the final secrets that were disclosed to me?_

"_**Cool beans, Sasuke."**_ Dren hopped down to join the rest of its kin._** "We'll head off to the next mission."**_

"_**Hey asshole." **_Xran mumbled, his face firmly planted into the ground._** "Could someone remove this kunai from my head...I miss my motor skills."**_

0o0o0o

Naruto stood at the top of a small house near the market district in the Southern quarter, he surveyed the quiet town with scrutiny. He was not admiring the landscape, but rather ensuring that few, if any of the demonic Darklings were causing a ruckus.

Naruto heaved a deep sigh he felt a small tug on his leg. He looked down to the small Darkling, Pollock which had bat like ears that were larger than the other creatures.

"_**Boss we got seven missions down. And Pickon and Randar are currently finishing the last one in this sector."**_ Pollock tapped a small bunch of mission papers in his hand, it did not escape Naruto's attention that one of them was folded into a paper plane. _**"The next four missions take us seven blocks south."**_

"Alright boys, move it!" Naruto attempted to convey his message as quietly as possible, people were asleep after all.

"_**WHAT? I CAN'T HEAR YOU!"**_ A Darkling's cry echoed across the city, one of the rebellious demonic creatures under Goldbrick's camp. He was immediately tackled by one of the more compliant Darklings, although he ended up making a loud banging sound upon impact.

"Quiet down!" The words hissed out of Naruto's mouth with a combination of urgency and seething hatred. "If you botch the perfect completion scores I swear..."

A fragmenting aura gathered around the Darkness host, smoke blacker than the night itself emanated from his coat his eyes turned a frightening red colour.

"_**Whoa...easy Boss."**_ Several Darklings backed away slowly, quietly gulpling down their worry. _**"Just having a little fun."**_

"You can have fun later." Naruto took a deep breath as his eyes returned to normal. "In the mean time I expect a professional methodology to completing these missions."

The blonde was about to say something when the black sludge erupted from his mouth ruining his coat and boots.

"_**Boss!"**_ Several Darklings, including Goldbrick rushed over. _**"This is getting unpleasant." **_

"W-What...is g-going on?" Naruto said between gasps." Goldbrick placed a gentle hand on Naruto's back, applying small pressure at the base to relieve tension.

"_**It is the side affect of bringing a thousand of us here."**_ Goldbrick glanced at the small Darklings as they gathered, ignoring their pre-assigned missions. _**"The longer you hold us here, the more you will hurt. You need to let some of us go, the rest will double up."**_

"No, you guys work best en masse. We can't afford any slacking." Naruto wiped away the black goo that stained his mouth. The stuff tasted something foul, like rotten eggs.

"You two," Naruto pointed to a pair of Darklings carrying a crate of apples, "pick up the pace, we still have a lot of work to do...and don't go eating the fruit."

"_**Yes sir."**_ The Darklings whispered; their small feet quickly scrambled along the ground, doubling their speed.

0o0o0o

The night went on quickly, with hundreds of the small creatures darting around the village (staying clear of the Aburame and the Inuzuka clan houses). Though the genin team had to deal with an occasional hitch by a bored Darkling.

Sakura caught several Darkings peeping through a woman's room. Sakura's rage quickly turned a deep shade of embarrassment as she saw the woman...'entertaining' a male visitor. The Darklings were disappointed they had to move but a simple threat about 'telling Naruto' quickly sent them scattering. Luckily the man and woman were 'too busy' to notice their audience.

Sasuke toned down his 'kunai to the head' routine to all but the most rebellious Darklings. Turns out once you get past the name calling and the rudeness, the Darklings were rather intuitive working in tandem with the Uchiha like clockwork.

Naruto's group, although they started the slowest, quickly accelerated their pace. While Naruto's strict adherence to keeping ahead of schedule was a factor, the Darklings really just wanted Naruto to stop keeping a thousand of them in the real world.

"_**Boss this is getting bad."**_ Gibbs curled up against Naruto's back keeping him upright. _**"You need to stop this now. It is not funny anymore."**_

"Never mind me." Naruto grunted, it was difficult to do speak much less move, his muscles felt like they were burning. The pain was not agonising but it was starting to drain his ability to concentrate on the most simple of tasks, such as walking. The blonde had been throwing up more and more frequently as time had gone by. Currently the interval between vomiting had shortened to five minutes.

"_**Boss, do you want me to grab you a mirror."**_ Pollock fumed, his snake like fingers wrapped around Naurto's legs. _**"You look very sick. Your body is going through too much stress, it is melting through your muscle like lactic acid."**_

"The Darkness will heal me when this is done." Naruto heard the familiar slithering of Goldbrick. "Failing that, I could always go to the hospital."

"_**Boss you just started tapping into your 'dark side', pun intended." **_Goldbrick heaved a great sigh._** "I don't need you couped up in a hospital just when you were starting to become interesting."**_

"How many missions have we completed?"

Goldbrick mused as he flicked through the missions sheets. _**"Sixteen. I also contacted Xran and Frutz; they are on thirteen and fifteen respectively."**_

"That means..." Naruto grunted as he tried to calculate the remaining missions. "eleven missions are left. How long until dawn?"

Goldbrick gazed at the stars above, as if they held the answer. _**"About an hour and a half, give or take a few minutes, and six of those missions are the ones that you won't let us do."**_

"We are running out of time." Naruto coughed. "Send word to Frutz; tell him to pick up the pace."

"_**On it."**_ A nearby Darkling saluted and quickly vanished into the shadows.

"_**This is a bad idea Boss."**_ Gibbs whispered. _**"You should stop this now. This could end very painfully if you keep this up."**_

"Irre...levant." Naruto coughed. "We're almost there, once we get our two missions done, you guys can leave."

"_**By the time we finish, you might not be able to stand."**_ Goldbrick smirked unpleasantly.

"Then...you better move it." Naruto groaned.

0o0o0o

Sakura rubbed her sleepy eyes as she noticed Frutz talking emphatically to another Darkling. After what only could be described as a very unpleasant series of curses, the Darkling vanished leaving behind a very upset Frutz.

"What's wrong?"

"_**We're behind schedule and so is the Uchiha."**_ Frutz grunted. _**"We have to pick up the weight asap. The Boss can't hold on much longer."**_

"What is wrong with Naruto? Is he okay?" Sakura's brow furrowed, concern emanated in her eyes.

"_**No. He is receiving blow-back from holding a thousand of us here, and he is getting worse."**_

"So what do we do now?"

"_**Well..."**_ Frutz grunted. _**"We finish the missions assigned to us. After that it is up to you and the Uchiha to take care of the remaining six during the day. Dren is already telling the Emo-freak the same thing."**_

"What will happen to Naruto?"

"_**Oh he'll be fine, just go out back drinking a litre of sake and after that he'll build an amusement park called 'Magical Pony Farm'."**_ Frutz growled. _**"What the fuck do you think will happen? After this, we are taking him home to rest!**_"

"Quiet down. People are sleeping." Sakura held a finger to her lips.

"_**Fuck the people, Sakura. He was not even a blip on their radar until his twelfth birthday."**_

"That is not fair, h-"

"_**He was not even a blip on your radar either Forehead-chan. Did you or Emo-freak even try to defend him from Kiba? Or anyone else for that matter?" **_Whatever objection Sakura was about to voice was quickly silenced.

"_**I thought not."**_ Frutz gestured the Darklings to move out. _**"The Boss is going to injure himself badly if this keeps up."**_

"...then we should move it." Sakura stayed a few steps behind the fuming Frutz, unaware that several demonic eyes stared at her from the darkest shadows.

0o0o0o

The sound of birds singing echoed across the canyon; dawn was minutes away. Sakura gave the last brush to Frutz who quickly dabbed the last bit of paint on the fence post.

"_**Done!"**_ Frutz cried with relief. _**"Is there anything else?"**_

Sakura quickly ruffled through her missions sheets, double checking all was done.

"_**Sakura..."**_ Frutz grunted impatiently, tapping a clawed foot on the soil.

"No, that's it. It's over." Sakura's posture relaxed as she placed the scrolls back in her pouch.

"_**Okay!"**_ Frutz turned to the Darklings nearby. _**"Boys! Vanish! Now!"**_ Apart from Frutz, the small battalion under Sakura's command quickly disintegrated into ash and smoke.

"What now?" Sakura glanced down to see Frutz wrapping his small form with bandages and clothes to protect himself from the light.

"_**We meet back in the hills."**_ Frutz darted off a nearby alleyway and Sakura followed in kind. _**"The Boss is already there and Sasuke is on the way."**_

"How is he?" Sakura inquired.

"_**You'll see when you get there."**_ Frutz's tone did not reassure the pink haired genin.

0o0o0o

The light just tipped the horizon as Sakura entered the clearing of Naruto's house. She noticed Sasuke was already there. While Sakura had rings under her eyes, the Uchiha looked like he just woke up, looking completely fresh. Nearby, Sakura saw Xran hiding under the shade pulling kunai from his back.

"_**Fucking Uchiha and their hot temper..."**_ Xran cursed as his partner, Dren pulled out another kunai.

"Well you seemed to have gotten along with them." Sakura smirked at the stoic Sasuke.

"...sort of."

"Have you seen Naruto?" Sakura was sure that Naruto would be around somewhere.

"I'm...over here." The two genin turned to gaze at their third teammate in horror and worry.

"...holy shit." Sasuke looked bug eyed. It would be most almost comedic if not for the circumstances. Naruto... or maybe what was left of Naruto walked out of the house tenderly, his whole frame supported by tendrils emanating from the darkness that lurked in the house. Naruto had dispensed with the trench coat, boots and body armour which allowed a clear view of his body.

It was a mess, as if all his body fat just up and walked out straight of his body. Naruto's sunken cheeks could only be rivalled by his sunken eyes in which gleamed his drooping blue orbs. A simple shirt draped his chest covering an almost exposed ribcage, his skin white and pasty. His limbs looked bony and his hair was tattered losing its blonde sheen.

"Naruto..." Sakura and Sasuke ran up to him as he sat down on the front steps of his house. The tendrils waved them off aggressively. Once it was clear that protective tentacles would not let them near, they had to settle for observing from the base of the house.

"I don't feel so hot." Droplets of black sludge leaked down Naruto's lips like trickles' from a fountain. "It hurts to move...it even hurts to touch."

"Naruto we have to get you to a hospital." Sakura tried to grab Naruto but the tendrils slapped aside her hand. "A C-rank can wait. Sasuke..." The pink haired genin sent a pleading look to the Uchiha, who actually showed some measure of concern.

"We do have time to spare..." Sasuke murmured. "We could drop you off and we could finish the remainder of the missions."

Naruto chuckled. "I don't need a hospital; I need rest and lots of it." Frutz hopped into the house and came out with a glass of water. "Either way, I'm done. You will have to carry on the remaining six without me." Naruto patiently waited as his green-eyed minion gently tipped the glass into his mouth, wincing as he swallowed the cool liquid.

"I guess, considering you have pulled your weight the most." The comment itself was a compliment, but the way Sasuke said it made it seem insulting.

"Heh..." Naruto coughed and spat out some of the venomous bile onto the grass. "That is something coming from you."

Naruto made a slight gesture to his house, wincing as he made his movements. Frutz ran inside and came back with a brown bag containing a large pile of mission scrolls. "Don't forget to take these." Frutz handed Sakura the scrolls and quickly hopped back to the porch.

"_**Enough talk Boss."**_ Frutz motioned to the black tendrils which began to lift a groaning Naruto. _**"You need your rest."**_

With that Naruto was taken back into the shadows. "Good luck guys. I...need to...rest."

"Okay, Naruto you rest." Sakura nodded, hoping her posture would inspire some confidence in their ill teammate.

"...Sakura, we have to move." The raven-haired genin jerked his head back to the village.

"_**I'll say."**_ They turned to see Xran and Dren in their perspective wrappings. _**"The Boss looks like shit."**_

"How long will he be out?"

"_**I would hazard a guess; a few days, maybe less."**_ Dren cocked his glasses beneath the folds. _**"It all hangs on Naruto just doing nothing."**_ Both teammates frowned at the concept of the blonde being down because they wanted to go for a record.

"_**Listen up Forehead-chan, Emo-freak."**_ Xran attempted to put on his most menacing stare, but with the wrappings it came off comical, even slightly cute (though no one had the courage to tell it that). _**"Don't you mess this up. The Boss has suffered too much to be undermined by you two."**_

Both nodded in compliance. "What about not calling me Emo-freak?" Sasuke mused. "Is that not a violation of Naruto's orders? Is that grounds for a kunai to the head?"

"_**That was when we were doing the missions. Our job is done now."**_ Xran smiled. _**"Now it is back to business as usual; I dare you to throw a kunai at me."**_

"Maybe later." Sasuke's smile chilled Sakura to the bone. "But we have to go." With that, both genin vanished into the trees, heading back to Konoha at top speed.

"_**Good luck!"**_ Both Darklings actually sounded encouraging. That was a change.

0o0o0o

"I must say it is nice that young people are coming down to help the old." The old woman rocked on her chair as the two genin were busy fixing a major break in the kitchen. Although this was a manual labour task, the six non-Darkling missions involved going into people's homes; a big no-no for the demonic creatures. They spent a majority of the morning finishing off the remaining missions, and they were currently completing the last one.

"We are happy to help." Sakura smiled.

"Don't lie my dear." The old woman smiled. "Young people should spend time enjoying life, not hanging around those coming to their end. Especially pretty ones." Sakura's bashful look made her look more childish than usual. "But I do appreciate the gesture."

Although Sakura smiled brightened, Sasuke merely grunted as he began refurbishing the kitchen bench. It was times like this Naruto would have come in handy; the blonde knew his way around the 'hack-shinobi' work.

"I must say, I have not been a ninja in twenty years, but I thought genin teams still operated in groups of three." The old woman looked around "Where is the other one?"

"He is unwell." Sasuke's curt voice made him sound rude. Sakura tried to give an apologetic look but the old woman shrugged it off.

"Well, I hope he is not dragging you down." The old woman smirked. "You are going for the D-rank record, yes?"

"He did more than his fair share." Sakura shook her head as she finally fixed the broken vase that shattered on the floor. "He strained himself last night."

"Well I hope he did not suffer permanent damage."

"Me neither." Sakura frowned. Her thoughts reflected to the skeletal Naruto that sat on the porch; there was no way he could lose that much weight in one night...was there?

_No wonder Frutz was getting antsy._ Sakura moved onto the realigning the wiring in the ceiling. Sasuke finished the imperfections on the kitchen bench, from what could be guessed, something very large hit the bench and broke everything around it.

"I think we're done here." Sasuke did a quick surveying of the kitchen before he turned to look at the old woman in her chair. "Well?"

As the time limit was slowly coming to an end, the raven haired genin had been growing more impatient and slightly reckless. It was less than ten minutes away from the twenty-four hour mark.

Sakura noticed more mistakes in his work and quietly rectified them rather than let him know what he did wrong. Sakura learned a while back that he cannot take criticism. At all. Especially from her.

"Sasuke, be nice." The pink-haired genin whispered, hoping the Uchiha will take the hint.

"I am old, my dear, not deaf." The old woman, slowly got up, cane in hand, and looking over the work. "Not bad," she mused, "not the work of a professional carpenter, but not bad."

Sakura seemed relieved; Naruto was a novice genin, but he knew manual labour. All those missions with Naruto's knowledge of carpentry and manual repairs rubbed off on her. By the looks of it, Sasuke picked some tricks up as well, much to his chagrin. The old woman reached for the mission scroll and gave it a quick signature and handed back to the girl.

"Thank you," the old woman sighed with some relief, "you made an old woman very happy."

Sakura bowed while Sasuke quickly turned on his heel straight out the door. The pink haired genin hurried after him calling out his name.

_Young people...always in a hurry._ The old woman shook her head as she reached for a pot to make some tea.

0o0o0o

"Sasuke wait up." Sakura was running out of breath. Both of them were trailing the roof tops in a straight line. The Uchiha was gunning straight for the Hokage office at full sprint, and she knew that he could do run all day without so much as breaking a sweat.

"You keep up!" Sasuke called out behind him. "We have less than seven minutes left!"

"But I am carrying the scrolls here!" Sakura snapped. Sasuke halted dead in his tracks allowing her to catch up. "If you rush you will make a mistake."

Sasuke held out his hand, Sakura stared at it, a red tinge in her cheeks. "Give me the bags."

Sakura immediately handed over Naruto's brown bag and her backpack and she became noticeably lighter. Despite the relief on her neck, she was visibly disappointed that Sasuke was not asking for her hand. _Snap out of it girl._

"Let's go." Sasuke hurtled himself off, without so much as a pause, leaving the pink-haired genin in the dust.

"Ugh..." Sakura groaned as she rushed to try to keep up. 'Try' being the operative word.

0o0o0o

"Forty-five seconds till deadline." Iruka muttered as he looked at the clock.

"Thank you, Iruka." The Sandaime tapped his fingers on the small pile of identical orange books, musing over the semi-devastated, semi-worried look from Hatake Kakashi.

"Getting nervous, Kakashi?" The Hokage mused as he smoked his pipe.

"Not really, Hokage-sama."

"Sure, sure." The Sandaime smiled as the smoke escaped his mouth.

"Thirty seconds."

"They're cutting it close." The Hokage frowned a little. "Looks like your D-rank record is still going to stand, Kakashi."

"It ain't over till it's over." Kakashi folded his arms. "I am sure you know that my team pushed it when it came to the record."

"Not this close." The Hokage corrected.

"Fifteen seconds." Iruka leaned forward in his chair.

"Ah well, at least I get a consolation prize out of this." The Hokage tapped the orange books again, much to Kakashi's chagrin.

"Ten seconds." At the last moment the door to the mission office burst inward with a raven –haired genin literally skidding into the main desk. An unpleasant 'thump' was heard followed by a sickening crunch. Sasuke immediately got up, slightly dazed and slammed three bags in front of a stunned Iruka.

"WE'RE HERE!" A voice yelled. The surprised audience turned to see Sakura just enter the room before collapsing into the foetal position, her breathing loud and gasping.

"Iruka?" The Hokage turned to his colleague who was staring at the clock.

"Six seconds remained."

"You cut it very close." The Hokage turned to the fatigued genin. "But you're here...where's Naruto?"

Sakura slowly got up and whispered something into her sensei's ear. The only indication of what he heard was a slight widening of his exposed eye.

"Kakashi?" The Hokage raised an eyebrow.

"If you'll permit me, Hokage-sama." Kakashi stood at attention. "Naruto is not well, I would like to go check up on him."

"...you do that." The old Hokage stared at the two genin, the smoke masking his facial expression. "You two on the other hand, let's see how Team 7 has done."

0o0o0o

Naruto found himself lying on the floor next to his bed. The room's window was blackened out and the lights in the house were all switched off. The blonde did not have the strength to move, he did not even have the strength to swallow. His drool had taken on an uncomfortable black colour.

_God, this hurts._

_**Haha. You said 'God'.**_ The Darkness echoed in his brain making the boy flinch, however he did find some relief from the pain. _**How is my little host doing?**_

_I don't need this. Leave me alone for a while, I don't need you to torment me._

_**Torment you?**_The Darkness cackled. _**I am actually, strangely enough, impressed.**_

_Really?_ Naruto hoped his sarcasm made it through. The blonde found that highly unlikely, this was an entity that freely enjoyed being evil after all.

_**Oh yes. The body count leaves something to be desired, but at least you are using my powers creatively.**_

_What now?_

_**Now? You get well but that will take a while. But darkness is your friend Naruto, it will heal you quickly.**_

_How long? _

_**So many questions, puppet. So curious. **_ The Darkness sniggered as it ebbed away.

"_**Hey Boss, talking to the Darkness again?"**_ Naruto's blue eyes shifted to meet Frutz. _**"Fell out of bed?"**_

"Didn't...even make it." Naruto coughed. Frutz was going to pick him up but Naruto flailed a free arm, his attempt at waving him off.

"_**You look like crap."**_ Frutz's green eyes narrowed. _**"I think we need to consult someone."**_

Naruto mentally asked who, and he was answered when a small knee high Darkling manifested from a corner of his bed. This Darkling looked no different to others, except he had a white lab coat and a head mirror on its forehead.

"_**Boss this is Doktor."**_ Frutz smiled. _**"He is a Darkling of...many talents. One of which is medicine."**_

Doktor slowly rolled Naruto onto his back, Frutz tilted his head forward to make it easier to swallow. _**"Hmmm...Over-exposure to stress on the body; very painful."**_ Doktor affectionately stroked its head mirror. _**"If you held on any longer, you would have probably gone into a coma. What was he doing?"**_

"_**He summoned a thousand of us for a whole night."**_ Frutz grumbled. The Doktor nodded in understanding; that would do it for a new host.

"_**And who told him that was okay?"**_

"_**Fucking Gibbs."**_ Frutz spat. Naruto had a distinct feeling that the Darkling, Gibbs was going to be in trouble.

"_**The Darkness is working to heal his body but that would still take time. I would say six days, longer if he moves around."**_

"I-impossible." Naruto spluttered. "There is a mission...happening...soon."

"_**Well I am afraid that you won't be able to do anything for a while."**_ Doktor shrugged nonchalantly.

"Is there a quicker way of doing this?" Naruto coughed.

"_**Quite a few, but it is not about remedy, it is about location."**_

_Location?_ The answer was lost on Naruto, but Frutz nodded in acknowledgment.

"_**Boss I can't think of any place nearby that could help you."**_ Frutz pouted. _**"Sorry, but you are stuck here and you are not leaving."**_

"_**Actually guys."**_ All three turned around to see the diminutive Dren stand at the doorway. _**"There is one place that could be helpful."**_

"Will it heal me?"

"_**If it works you could completely recover in a matter of hours." **_Dren stood confident in his analysis, readjusting his glasses to a more comfortable position.

"Then let's do it...Help me up."

0o0o0o

"...I don't believe it." Iruka gasped as he double checked the numbers.

"Hmm?" The Hokage was intrigued.

"They did it." Iruka smiled warmly at the two genin. "They beat the record. Kakashi's Team 7 is the holder of the new 'D-rank' record." Although Sasuke just smirked, Sakura actually leapt into the air in joy.

"Yes! We did it Sasuke-kun!" Sakura couldn't wait to tell Naruto. _Naruto, we could not have done this without you._

"Finally..." Sasuke mused, his smirk gone. "Now where is the C-rank we were promised?"

The Hokage raise an eyebrow. _Impatient aren't we?_Nonetheless, the Sandaime called out the client.

"Tazuna-san, please come in." On cue a side door opened revealing an old bespectacled man. He looked relatively shabby and judging from the sway in his posture and the sake bottle in his hand, he was two cups past 'drunk'.

"It's 'bout time." Tazuna's eyes focused on the pair of genin. "Am I worth so little that I am to be escorted by _children_?"

If Sakura did not take a liking to the old drunk, then Sasuke was definitely cranky. Both genin had the same thought; _what a jerk._ Even worse was a thought that made them both pale; _what happens if he tries this with Naruto...or even worse the Darklings?_

"He is a very famous bridge builder. Your job is to take this man to _Nami no Kuni_ so he can finish a bridge in progress and protect him from bandits and the like." The Sandaime placed a scroll in front of them. "Here is the rest of the mission details, please give this to your sensei."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama." Sakura quickly reached for the scroll and bowed.

"Kakashi might need these as well." The old Hokage tapped the small pile of orange books, which Sakura grabbed as well.

"You leave when your teammate gets better." The Sandaime nodded, shifting slightly in his chair. "It better not be too long though, otherwise we have to give this mission to someone else."

"Too right." The old man slurred. "I have a damn schedule to keep."

"Alright, we'll head off to Naruto's place." Sakura turned to Tazuna. "We'll take you to see Kakashi-sensei." The old man grumbled as he followed them out.

0o0o0o

Kakashi was getting nervous as the knocks to Naruto's door went unanswered. _Where is he?_

"Naruto? Are you there?" Kakashi tapped gently on the handle, which opened with little effort. "I'm coming in."

_An unlocked door...total silence. I've got a bad feeling about this._ Kakashi slowly walked around the cabin, everything was in its place, and nothing looked out of the ordinary. The house was dark, all the shades were drawn, some of the windows were even blacked out. The masked jounin almost expected a Darkling to jump out and scare him.

"Naruto? This is ridiculous you should be in a hospital if you are unwell." Kakashi approached the bedroom door. "Sakura said that the night really took a lot out of you."

Silence was all that answered him. Kakashi gripped the door handle and looked inside the bedroom.

Empty. There was a small puddle of black liquid on the floor, but apart from that it was relatively barren.

"What the-" The pink-haired genin said that Naruto looked like death, and he had trouble speaking, much less moving. Now the blonde is nowhere in sight.

_Where are you, Naruto?_

**0o0o0o**

A/N: Well guys, there it is. The Land of Waves Arc has begun. Let me know what you think, whether you like it or don't like or whether it needs improvement. If you have any queries or ideas review or PM me.


	19. Chapter 18: Tumbling Down

Hey guys what's up? Here is the latest chapter. Exams are underway so I may go off-grid for a few days (or weeks).

As some of you have cleverly guessed (cough ZGW cough VulpineSnow cough) things seem to be going too smooth for little Naruto. God forbid a Darkness host is happy!

_Hi - Normal thoughts_

"Hi"- Normal talking

_**Hi- Darkness talking/thoughts**_

_**"Hi"- Darklings talking.**_

Special thanks to my Beta - ABitterPill.

_**Chapter 18: Tumbling down  
**_

"Hey guys! Congratulations!" Ichikaru called out. Once he noticed the familiar Sasuke and Sakura, he left his counter and run up to them cheering. This was notable as it was the first time he did that in over sixteen years. Half the customers who had been regulars for decades at a time were awestruck and wondered who would deserve such attention.

"I can't believe it!" The old man grinned. "You actually did it! Ayame get out here; it's Team Seven!"

Sakura's cheesy grin was a perfect counter to Sasuke's barely noticeable smirk, some would think that it may be a nervous tick. "Thank you Ichikaru-san. But how did you find out? It only became official ten minutes ago."

"Ha! You seem to forget, I have the best ramen stand in Konoha, no secret gets past me." The old man turned to his customers who stared with a mixture of surprise and amusement. "In recognition of the breaking of the D-rank record, all the meals are on the house!"

The whole bench cheered with joy, some even came out and shook the genin's hands. After all who would not value the concept of free ramen. "Ichikaru-san, you can't do that, you'll go out of business." Sakura's face blushed to match her red clothes.

"Bah! My store, my rules." The old ramen chef mused. "I think it is time you three got a well deserved bowl of ramen, eh? It's on me." The grin on the man's face lessened but lost none of its potency, as he looked for the third team member. "Where's Naruto?"

"He's not well." Sasuke's smirk vanished, reverting back to his classic stoic expression although some would have mistaken that gleam in his eye for concern (he would have denied it, of course). "He strained himself during the night and is recuperating."

"Huh..." Ichikaru's eyebrows furrowed slightly. "How bad?"

"The idiot should be in the hospital." Sasuke grunted. "He naturally refused."

"Hmmm." The old man nodded. "Well if that is the case, I will send you all some ramen tomorrow."

"Not going to happen." All three turned to face a cranky Tazuna, whether it was his natural personality or he was being punished by a hangover was still up for debate. "Once we get this third idiot teammate, your team will escort me back to _Nami no Kuni_."

Although the ramen chef remained silent, the slight wrinkling of his nose said it all. Both genin shrugged off the old man's rudeness, albeit with great difficulty. The fact is that with that attitude, the two genin were less worried about making their client happy and more concerned with doing everything they could to prevent their new client from annoying Naruto or his Darklings; neither would be accommodating.

"We'll head off to his place." Sasuke turned and walked ahead in the direction of Naruto's residence. "With any luck he should be better."

"And if he isn't?" Tazuna glared.

"We'll cross that 'bridge' when we get there, eh?" Sasuke was relieved that his back was showing, otherwise he would never live down the stupid grin he had on his face.

0o0o0o

A garbed man sleeked into the apartment. He wore a black coat with the mask of a chameleon, his legs and feet were wrapped in cloth. The man made no sound as he sleeked across the wooden tiles. Years of training had taught him the purpose of being quiet. Years of being hunted and hunting have taught him to appreciate an old saying. 'In a fight amongst ninja, the person most quiet lives.'

Using a simple jutsu he slipped between the kitchen and bathroom like a shadow. He was instructed to come here as soon as possible. The mission was apparently of great importance, coming from the very top. Yet his contact was not there. That was until he felt the unmistakeable tip of a sword just brush against his neck.

_Damn._

"Impressive, Bar." The operative turned to his superior, the bandaged Danzo, the master of Root. "You barely rippled into my consciousness until you crossed the living room. I am glad to see your skills had not atrophied."

"I cannot recall a time I have not used it." Bar bowed. "How can I be of service?"

"How indeed." Danzo mused. "How are your other abilities?"

"Well versed."

"Good." Danzo handed the operative a small vial of blood and proceeded to walk to the door of the apartment. "I need you to ensure that the ANBU do not sense anything is amiss. They have been watching me for several months now."

"That can be done." Bar nodded, he opened the small vial and swallowed its contents. "How long do you need me to play the role?"

"A few days maybe more." Danzo nodded to the ceiling. "They are currently changing shifts, so they won't be by for another six and a half minutes."

Bar did several quick seals before he removed his mask and coat. "I promise they will never know you left."

Danzo turned to gaze at his mirror image, all the way down to his voice, cane and bandages. Danzo nodded in approval as he stared at one of the first Root operatives he ever trained. Bar's stealth abilities were second to none, but his true ability was impersonation. If he managed to get a vial of a chosen person's blood, he could fool any skeptic all the way down to a genetic level. "This mission I am going on is too important to be derailed by outside interference."

"I understand." Bar (now Danzo) nodded in compliance. "Good luck on your mission, Danzo-sama."

With that the original left, leaving the fake behind to go about his business of making some tea.

0o0o0o

"Jeez, where does this guy live?" Tazuna huffed as he walked up the hill. Sakura and Sasuke ignored the old man's annoying complaints for the umpteenth time.

"We'll get there soon enough." Sasuke grunted as he walked along.

"I'm not as young as I used be you know." The bridge builder panted. "I could have a heart attack."

Sakura did not catch what the raven-haired boy said, but it sounded like"...and the world will be a brighter place because of it."

"What was that?" The old man's eyes narrowed.

"Nothing."

"I swear you-"

"Look!" Sakura pointed up ahead. "Kakashi-sensei!" A man walked out of the bushes with a lopsided head band.

"Hello, Sasuke, Sakura. As you are both here I assume you passed. Congratulations." His revealed eye made a little 'smile' as he patter Sakura on the head. "I am very proud of you."

Sakura blushed away the compliment. "Where is Naruto?"

"Actually I was coming to see you about that." Kakashi's eye refocused to look at both genin. "He's not at home. Could he have left?"

"No." Sasuke shook his head. "He looked very unwell."

"He could be in the hospital."

"As if the Darklings would take him to the hospital." Sasuke grunted.

"But it is a possibility, especially if was very unwell." Kakashi sighed. "Let's stop over and check."

"This is outrageous." The old man grunted, clearly displeased at being ignored. "I have been dragged around the entire village. This is a waste of my time!"

Kakashi calmly gazed at the infuriated man. "You must be our client. I am Hatake Kakashi. I am the leader of Team Seven."

"Finally..." The old man grumbled. Sakura handed the mission scroll to Kakashi who briefly glossed the contents with an unperturbed eye.

"_Nami no Kuni_, huh?" Kakashi placed the scroll in one of his pouches. "Well, I am sure we can get you there in good time. Hopefully, our teammate will be well enough to do the mission...once we find him."

"And if he isn't?" The old man raised a brow.

"Then you will obviously be assigned a new team." Kakashi was more experienced with difficult clients and shirked the old man's jibes as easily as one of his team's attacks. "In the mean time I ask you be patient. In the shinobi business, it is not uncommon for teammates to get injured."

"Fine." Tazuna turned around and walked back down the hill, it seemed to take less a toll on his legs.

"I think the Darklings are either going to dislike him or have way too much fun." Kakashi sighed. "Either way this mission is going to be interesting."

0o0o0o

Naruto found himself lying sprawled on the ground. He felt solid wood beneath him. It is not timber; it was too smooth and too light. He was a former woodchopper after all.

_Oak, maybe? Possibly Mahogany?_ Naruto guessed that wherever he was, it was expensive. The blonde could not recall a place that used such high-quality wood for a floor.

Naruto's eyes remained closed to the world, the last thing he recalled was being pulled away at great speed, now he was...somewhere. It was cold and dark, yet the air had a very stale taste, drying his lips.

He could hear the occasional skitter of a nearby Darkling, paying close watch to its charge, a snide remark here or there and the occasional whisper. Apart from that is was utter silence. It seemed that when it comes down to it, the Darklings are more worried about their Boss than goofing around.

"_**Hey Boss, you okay?"**_ Naruto's heart jumped when he heard the concerned Frutz whisper in his ear.

"Yeah..." Naruto had to give credit where it was due; he did not know where he was and how he got there. But the important part was that he actually felt better, every breath he took relieved him of pain, albeit slowly. Naruto had gained the ability to breathe and speak without wincing. However, his whole body still rocked with pain, the only thing he could do was just lie there.

"Where is this place?" Naruto opened his eyes and gazed at his surroundings. He was in a house of some sort, it was big and spacious. More importantly it was completely barren, there was no furniture and dust had accumulated over every square inch of the house. Wherever he was, people have not been there in a long time.

The only place that was relatively dust free was a narrow path, obviously where he was dragged by the Darklings who left small three-toed imprints. Strangely enough there was a light mist, almost smoke, just dancing above the wooden ground. The mist seemed to come from outside, it floated from under a door frame like slow-running water. "...and what is that?"

"_**Does it matter?"**_ Frutz sat on the floor picking its teeth looking at the ceiling. _**"I must say you're looking better, blood has returned to your skin."**_ Doktor gave a quick look over and nodded in approval.

"_**The location is adequate."**_ Doktor huffed. _**"At this rate, he should be ready in three to four hours, maybe less."**_

"_**Well Dren, I got to hand it to you, you did it again."**_ Frutz smirked a toothy smile to the small spectacled Darkling hiding in the corner, looking_ very_ pleased with himself. _**"It's always good to have a nerd on the team."**_

"_**My research is impeccable."**_ Dren ignored the snide remark, readjusting his glasses as he hid in the shadows. _**"This place is the only location in thirty kilometres that contains enough taint to help the Boss heal."**_

Naruto's brow furrowed, not only because of confusion but also because of worry. "...'taint'? What do you mean 'taint'?"

Frutz shot an annoyed glare at Dren, before returning his gaze to Naruto. _**"The Darkness can heal you naturally, Boss. However there are certain locations that can...Dren help me out here..."**_

"_**Super-charge or amplify; you pick."**_ Dren fidgeted with his glasses.

"_**Yeah, super-charge your abilities."**_ Frutz gestured around the house. _**"This is one of those locations." **_

Dren nodded as Frutz continued. _**"Here, your powers can function ten-fold. You become stronger, we grow more numerous, you get faster, we can deal more damage, you can take more damage, we become smarter...and you can heal quicker." **_Frutz pointed at the ground, Naruto's eyes followed it to the mist that was encircling his body.

"What is this?"

"_**The taint I was talking about."**_ Frutz shrugged. _**"The Darkness can take this taint and use it to heal you at an accelerated rate, which is what is currently happening."**_

"And how does taint exist in the first place?" Naruto had a terrified suspicion he knew the answer.

Dren stepped forward and gave further information. _**"Taint is created out of negative actions and emotions made by humans. Taint can remain in a location long after an event occurred, kind of like a memory. Generally, it is rare for locations to carry significant taint without some form of event or trauma."**_

_Location? Memory? 'Generally, it is rare for locations to carry significant taint without some form of event or trauma.' _Naruto reflected over his experiences since his twelfth birthday; the Darkness, the Darklings, the strength...the desire for blood. "Where am I?"

"_**We'll get to that soon Boss."**_ Doktor waved off Frutz and Dren. _**"When you are better you can have all the answers you want."**_

"Tell me now!" Naruto cringed as his chest heaved in objection.

"_**Okay Boss, but you won't like it."**_ Frutz sighed.

"I'll take my chances." Naruto gulped. "Tell me."

Frutz told him and he was right. Naruto did not like it.

0o0o0o

The hospital seemed relatively busy, there were medical staff bustling all of the hospital. Doctors argued over clinic hours while others were running to pick prescriptions. Team Seven attempted to extract information as to whether Naruto was a patient or not from the hospital. There was not much success.

"I'm sorry but we have no one under that name." The nurse placed a series of files on top a tray before quickly moving on to another set of paper.

"Maybe you spelt it wrong." Sakura tried to be helpful but only seemed to annoy the busied nurse behind the counter.

"You spelt it out to me already, young lady." The nurse huffed. "If you want more information then you can speak to his doctor; her name is Mimiki."

"Where is she?" Sasuke asked as politely as he could.

"Over here." The team turned to see a brown haired blue-eyed doctor. The nurse clearly satisfied walked off carrying a variety files under her arm. The doctor, Mimiki, carried a variety of files under her arm and a stethoscope in the other. "Who are you?"

"We're looking for Naruto." Kakashi politely asked.

"I have not seen him for a while. He has been busy with missions, and I have been busy training new medics." Mimiki's brow furrowed in concern. "Is he alright?"

"Not really." Sakura spoke up. "He was unwell when we last saw him at his house, but now we can't find him."

Mimki was tempted to drop everything and help the team look for the blonde. But obligations were preventing her from leaving. "Well, he generally hangs out a couple of locations; Ichikaru Ramen, the main shinobi store and occasionally the Akimichi Clan."

"But do you know _how_ we can find him?" Sakura pined, checking those locations would be time consuming as they all three are located on different sides of the village, and the irate Tazuna would not make things easier.

"Well..." Mimiki scratched her head. "Animals have never been fond of him. If you can find the place which is mostly void of wildlife; that would be a good indicator."

Kakashi shifted his gait before coming up with an epiphany. "Thank you. I have an idea."

"Kakashi-san, if you do find him please let me know." Mimiki's concern was met with a nod before Team Seven walked out of the hospital.

"Kakashi-sensei, what did you have in mind?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow. The masked jounin scratched a thumb which drew a droplet of blood.

"Step back. _Kuchiyose no Jutsu_!" Kakashi slammed his hands to the ground creating a small puff of smoke. Once the smoke dissipated, there sat a small dog with brown fur and a dark brown snout.

"Heya Kakashi." The small dog waved.

"Hi Pakkun." Kakashi nodded. "Team, this is Pakkun leader of my ninja hounds. Pakkun, this is my genin team."

"Nice to meet ya'll. I must say though that guy in the back is awful old to be a ninja isn't he?"

Kakashi did not have to turn to see the rather flushed face of their client, Tazuna. "Old? I will have you know I am fifty-nine!"

"He is our client Pakkun." Pakkun immediately drooped his ears in apology. "One of my team is missing, I need you to find him."

"Lost a genin already?" Pakkun chuckled. "Well if you give me a scent I can look for him."

"That is the thing, we don't have anything that can help you track him." Sakura looked a little crestfallen.

"Well I can't help much I'm afraid." Pakkun did a half shrug.

"Not exactly." Kakashi surveyed the village with a keen eye. "Is there any part of this village that seems strange to you? Someplace that you...don't like?"

Pakkun immediately perked his ears up in surprise. "Strange? Well...no...no, not really."

Kakashi nearly heaved a sigh when he noticed Pakkun's nose twitching. "Wait...yes...yes there is something strange...it..." Pakkun's face turned slightly green. "Ugh...There is something off in this village alright. What an awful smell! It wasn't there when you last summoned me to the village."

"That was a while ago." Kakashi's heart beat a little faster. "Pakkun...can you track the source of the smell?"

"Why would I want to do that Kakashi?" Pakkun rubbed a nose with his paw. "It smells like someone vomited rotten eggs and decayed meat!"

"That would be where we can find Naruto." Sakura recalled the fact that Kiba and his dog Akamaru were not fond of the blonde, especially in close proximity.

"Yeesh the guy must never shower! How can you stand working with him?"

"Only animals seem to detect the scent." Sasuke interrupted. "Well that and the Inuzuka and Aburame Clans."

"Huh." Pakkun did not sound amused. "Okay, Kakashi but I expect some juicy ribs when you next call me."

"Deal! Lead on, Pakkun." With that the dog bent his nose to the ground a quickly dashed across the street, Team Seven (and their client) in tow.

"Dammit people!" Tazuna moaned. "Do I look like a friggin track star?"

0o0o0o

"We have to get out of here." Naruto attempted to sit up only for his arms to give out and he landed flat on his back with a loud 'thump'.

"_**You need to calm down Boss."**_ Doktor scrutinised the blonde with a mixture of annoyance and scientific curiosity.

"I'll take my chances somewhere else." Naruto gritted the pain away. "Take me anywhere but here."

"_**But you're getting better." **_Doktor raised an eyebrow before returning to Frutz. _**"Is there something I should be aware of? I need to know everything if I am going to treat him."**_

"Frutz, how the hell am I going to explain this?" Naruto struggled, emitting a low growl. Frutz ignored the question entirely, as if it was not important.

"_**Sorry Doktor, I thought this was apparent to him from the get go. **_Frutz's eyes were wide with shock. _**"Boss, what is wrong with you?"**_

"I can't benefit from this, Frutz." Naruto grunted as he attempted to lift himself again. "This is wrong, this is evil."

"_**Boss...listen carefully to what I am about to say." **_Frutz stared at Naruto with emerald eyes, cocking its head from side to side. _** "You ARE wrong. You ARE evil."**_

"Huh?"

0o0o0o

Team Seven followed Pakkun in silence, their client long since gave up on complaining and shuffled behind them, fuming. Pakkun darted north-east of the village following the main road.

"Ugh Kakashi...do you really need to find this teammate?" Pakkun sounded teary as he continued to track the source of revulsion.

"Yes, he is our teammate Pakkun." Kakashi seemed unperturbed. "Come on, I'll make it some ribs and a bottle of sake."

"Ugh..." Pakkun darted down a side street, the team in tow.

"How did Naruto get this far? This is on the other side of town." Sakura turned to the Uchiha. "Could the Darklings have moved him? But why?"

Her questions were met with a cold silence as Sasuke stared straight ahead, his stride more rigid than usual. Sakura noticed his jaw line grow more defined with each step they took. Now that she noticed, Sasuke had grown more quiet the further they went down the path.

"Are you okay, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura was almost tempted to put a hand on his shoulder, if anything to get his attention. However, there was something in his eyes...something...angry?

"Look I know Naruto said he was unwell, but I am sure he has an explanation for being out here." Sakura was surprised to receive a grunt, which was more than what she expected. _What's come over him? Naruto you better not have upset Sasuke-kun._

Kakashi did quick check behind him before turning to Pakkun. "Pakkun, are you sure this is the right direction?" Pakkun turned another corner, the jounin tensed as they followed.

"Hey Kakashi, I go the best nose out of the ninken, don't mock me." Pakkun began to shiver as they moved forward. "Believe me I would rather do something else than this...something is wrong here."

"Is the scent moving?" Kakashi almost seemed hopeful.

"There is a second scent coming from the same location." Pakkun shivered. "It's...wrong."

"What?"

"...just wrong." Pakkun's words were spoken with foreboding. It seemed to make an impression on the young genin and their client who paid close attention to the exchange. Pakkun finally turned a corner before cringing. "We're here."

Kakashi's heart pounded before his team turned the corner. _Please be wrong, please let my memory fail._ When he gazed at the source of Pakkun's worry, Kakashi gasped.

_...shit._

Sakura turned to Sasuke who looked at pale as a sheet, the slight flicker of fear and rage was all that indicated he was aware of where he was.

The location was a walled off section of the city, abandoned for nearly six years. There was only one entrance, a set of big wooden doors. Above the doors hung a lantern that had long since gone out and a metal tablet with rusty words carved into it.

'Uchiha Clan'

_Naruto_, Kakashi's frown was apparent regardless of his mask, _you better have a damn good reason for being here._

0o0o0o

"_**Boss..."**_ Frutz blinked several times. _**"What do you think the Darkness is? Some kind of charity? A fundraiser to help orphans get back on their feet?"**_

"..."

"_**Dear God in Hell, Boss!"**_ Frutz's jaws were wide open. _**"Did you not think there were no strings attached to your contract? That there were no conditions to being the Darkness host?"**_

"What do you mean?"

"_**Why do you think the Darkness pushes for blood?"**_ Frutz scratched the back of his head. _**"Why do you think we get stronger when you become angrier?"**_

"I thought you were linked to me."

"_**We are."**_ Dren clarified. _**"But negative aspects of emotions or actions give us sustenance and power. In essence Boss, although the Darkness is powerful, your Darkness' powers grow in direct proportion to the negative sources in the surrounding environment."**_

"I didn't know..."

_**That is because you are an idiot who lives in denial.**_ The shadow that was the Darkness, coiled around his stomach and spine, slowly touching his mind. Naruto tried to shake it out, but Naruto was still weak and the Darkness was stronger than normal._** Come on Naruto; manifesting Darklings, animals are terrified of you or just hate you altogether, and of course the fact that I have been aching to have some die ever since Mizuki...did ANY of these give you a hint?**_

"..." Naruto felt nauseated at the concept of benefitting from other people's suffering, even though the Darkness was quickly clearing up the pain. "This is wrong. I have to leave."

_**Sure, once you have been healed, you may leave.**_ Naruto could not stand it, he wanted to just get up and walk out, but his body still hurt so much. The blonde decided on the next best thing, he slowly shifted over onto his belly and started to pull himself.

_**Where do you think you're going?**_ The Darkness' laughter echoed in his mind, in fact the blonde could swear he heard it coming from the house itself. _**Just going to crawl yourself out of here? Not likely Naruto.**_

"_**Boss," **_Frutz tried to wave Naruto to back down, _**"I would not want to go pissing off the Darkness here, if I were you. I suggest you trust me on this..."**_

"...get lost Frutz." Naruto grunted in pain as he tried to move his body forward, his arms were burning and his chest was heaving from the strain.

_**Okay, Naruto.**_ The Darkness chuckled. _**Let's see you get out of here when I do this.**_

Two long tentacles ripped through the blonde genin's undercoat lifting Naruto off the ground like a spider and shoved Naruto into a seating position his back against the wall.

"What the f-" Naruto tried to struggle but the ends of the tendrils slowly positioned themselves above Naruto's head, for a brief instance the blonde swore he saw eyes on the things. However, the tentacles coiled around Naruto as tight as one could be without suffocating him and pinned him to the ground. The blonde struggled but realised that his attempts of leaving of his own free will were dashed.

"How?"

_**How? **_The Darkness mused as the tendrils tighten around Naruto's abdomen. _**Good question, how did I do that? I wonder if it had anything to do with the fact that I own you. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.**_ Naruto felt the Darkness' satisfaction run rampant in his stomach making him nauseated.

"Frutz! Dren! Help me!" Naruto stared at the two Darklings. However his companions stood silently in the shadows, this was not their fight.

"_**Sorry Boss."**_ Dren sympathised. _**"But the Darkness...knows best."**_ Naruto's posture slouched as he realised that he was without allies.

_**What is it rapists say?**_ Naruto turned his attention to the malicious, cruel voice that spoke in his mind. The Darkness spread its influence to all corners of Naruto's mind creating a mildly intoxicating effect._** Ah yes: 'don't struggle and it won't hurt... who knows, you might even enjoy it.'**_

The cackling rocked Naruto's brain across his skull. _Fuck you!_

_**Now you stay like a good little puppet. Sit back, relax and enjoy.**_ The Darkness vanished leaving Naruto to frown upon the situation, all while watching the mist on the floor drew towards him like some otherworldly entity.

0o0o0o

Kakashi approached the wooden doors which stood like soldiers on patrol, daring fools to enter. The jounin did a quick check of the outline and dust on the unused entrance only to find nothing.

"You sure he is in their Pakkun?" Kakashi turned to the shrinking ninken. "There is no trace of entry."

"...he's in their alright." Pakkun backed up, seeking a shield in the form of their client. "We should not be here Kakashi."

Sakura stared at the small dog wondering what he sensed. _Why are animals so reverently against Naruto? Is he that bad?_ Sakura could not help but feel some scorn directed at the blonde as she turned to see the Uchiha, his fist clenched and shaking with rage.

"What do we do now?" Sakura turned to their sensei, his hand still on the door. Their sensei turned to face the Uchiha. It was strange, Sasuke was the pinnacle of genin, well on his way to being an accomplished ninja. However, Kakashi did not see that; instead he saw a boy...an angry, scared boy who would rather flee this place than confront it. Kakashi wanted to accommodate him, he really wanted to...but unfortunately the jounin could not, for all his strength, do that.

"...Sasuke." The Uchiha's eyes briefly darted to the masked jounin before returning to the door. "I know you would rather not...you know...but...with your permission...can we enter the premises?"

Uchiha Sasuke, the last of his Clan stood still staring at the door as if it held the answer to the meaning of life itself. How could his sensei ask to go inside when he himself had not set foot in his home for over five years? Kakashi could see the wheels turning in Sasuke's mind...going back into the past, back into _that _night.

"...Sasuke..." Sakura tugged on his sleeve, jerking him out of his nightmare. The Uchiha turned from the pink-haired genin to their sensei. A single nod was all he gave. The sensei guessed if he spoke all that would come out was a sob. _Naruto, if you're here, you have a lot of explaining to do._

"Okay..." Kakashi pushed. The wooden doors creaked in objection as they parted, revealing the Uchiha Clan Compound.

_What...the...hell?_

0o0o0o0

Danzo waited patiently outside of an entrance known only to Root. The young agent known as Sai knelt quietly a few feet away, keeping watch for unneeded observers. Although Danzo did his best to remove all trace of emotional attachment, the entrance was affectionately called the 'Service Corridor'.

The Service Corridor had only two points of entrance and exit. On one side was Root headquarters buried deep within Konoha, it was a bastion of weapons and knowledge that most ninja would feel nauseous just thinking about. The other side, on which Danzo and Sai waited, was the exit to the outside world, located twelve kilometres outside of Konoha in a densely forested area. After all, it would be awkward if several highly scrutinized assassins walked in and out of the front entrance.

The Corridor itself was held together by a variety of genjutsu, ninjutsu and fūinjutsu traps. Furthermore, if there was anyone clever enough to try and bypass that, the intruder would be welcomed to a variety of explosive tags that would kill them and remove all trace of the entrance. The only thing that would prevent the defences from activating was a highly specialised seal placed on authorised users, again limited only to Root operatives.

"Fū...Torune, thank you for being prompt." Danzo's unbandaged eye remained closed as two operatives sleeked out of the entrance. Although both wore white masks and white coats the one known as Troune had a black garb underneath his garments.

"We hurried as fast as we could, Danzo-sama." Fū took a deep bow, almost in apology for not being sooner. Sai straightened his gear waiting for further instructions.

"That is fine." Danzo adjusted his cane and headed east. "Has Sai told you anything about the mission?"

"Negative." The straight-backed Torune marched forward behind his superior. "We were informed to come here immediately and the mission was of grave importance."

Danzo nodded, Sai never repeated orders to others; he was paranoid that way. Still it was always good to have someone that was overly cautious. "We are doing a research mission. We have to go to _Uzushio._"

Danzo heard the unmistakable sound of someone stumbling behind him. "_Uzushiogakure no Sato_?"

"Do you know of any other?" Danzo mused, his subordinates trailing behind him.

"Forgive me Danzo-sama." Torune kept his tone level, but it was more tense than before. "But is _Uzushio_ still blockaded?"

"Yes."

"And the 'infection' is still rampant?"

"Indeed." Danzo would not have been surprised to see a confused expression on both the masked operative's faces. Sai remained relatively impassive, but then again he was a recent graduate of ANBU Root conditioning. It would be a while before his cognitive and emotional control reached the point of Fū and Torune. Contrary to popular belief, Danzo was not against emotions, but they had to be controlled. Veterans of Root do not need to undergo retraining unlike younger operatives, while novice Root were more unpredictable.

"But how will we get past the barrier, or the infection for that matter?" Torune queried.

"Leave that to me." Danzo gestured to a small pouch attached to his waist.

"Danzo-sama," Fū was concerned, "may I ask why? Why now?"

"You may." Danzo nodded. "There is someone in the village that has a link to _Uzushio_. For the sake of the security of Konoha, we need to double-check and make sure we did not miss anything."

"...are you referring to Uzumaki Naruto?" Fū regretted mentioning the boy's name the moment he said it.

"For the rest of this mission, that name is completely off limits." Danzo turned his head slightly, sending a warning message to his subordinates. "Is that clear?" Sai, Torune and Fū immediately took his meaning.

"Yes."

"Yes, Danzo-sama."

"Forgive me, Danzo-sama."

"We have a lot of ground to cover." Danzo's cane tapped softly against the ground. "So let's get to it." In a flash all four vanished leaving a swirl of leaves in their wake.

0o0o0o

For the first time in siz years, Sasuke gazed at the interior of the Uchiha compound. It did not change in any way, the entire place was abandoned and empty. However at the same time there was a mist that swirled on the ground like clouds of smoke. The mist flowed around the compound like rivers leading well into the centre of the compound, out of sight.

Kakashi did quick look behind him to see where the mist was coming from. It seemed the Uchiha compound was a self contained environment for the unusual smoke, and the jounin could tell from the look on Sasuke's face that it was not supposed to be there.

The mist gave the compound an eerie dream-like appearance, almost like they fell into some kind of strange nightmare. Kakashi heard the sound of Pakkun whining behind the old man.

"I led you to the source Kakashi. Now be a pal and dismiss me." Pakkun anxiously scratched the ground with his claws.

"Very well Pakkun." Kakashi nodded. "I'll see you soon." The summon vanished in a puff of smoke. The remaining four humans gazed into the compound with mild apprehension.

"I don't know about you guys..." Tazuna grunted, "But I am not keen on going in there...it looks weird."

Sasuke's muteness was deafening, while Sakura gazed at the low level fog that hung around the compound with a mixture of curiosity and concern. Kakashi stared on at the old wooden houses with nostalgia and awe, despite reputation and curiosity, he had never seen the inside of the Uchiha compound. When they were alive the elders forbade his entrance, and when they died, he did not go in out of respect.

As Kakashi set foot on Uchiha earth, he felt the mist part almost in anticipation; it hung heavily around his shins like a wet rag. However there was something eerie crawling up his spine as he stood on the site of the Uchiha Clan Massacre.

"Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura queried, her eyes still on the mist as it engulfed her. "Where do you think Naruto is?"

"I don't know but..." Kakashi gazed down at the fog, "this mist is flowing in a direction. Sasuke where is it going?"

Sasuke's eyes scanned the trail of the mist and where it finally intersected, his eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "...my house..."

"...do you want to take the lead?" Kakashi glanced back at the Uchiha, who slowly stepped forward.

"Follow me." There was anger in Sasuke's voice as he lead his team back to a home he had not been to in six years.

"...well I guess I'll just stay out here." Tazuna folded his arms in objection, but nonetheless remained where he was. "Konoha ninja; what a bunch of nut jobs."

0o0o0o

"_**Uh-oh."**_ Frutz knelt to the ground placing his oversized ear on the floor. _**"We got company."**_

Naruto's head snapped back so quick that there was a 'crick' sound. "What?"

"_**Three of them."**_ Frutz stood back up and quickly nodded to Dren. The 'smart guy' of the Darklings quickly opened the door to the dark room and peered out. After a sudden jump he quickly slammed the door shut.

"_**Oh shit."**_ Dren whispered. _**"It's your team!"**_

_Oh fuck. _Any colour that remained from the already pale Naruto finally left his face."Get me out of here!"

"_**No such luck Boss."**_ Frutz scratched the side of his head in an irritated motion. _**"The Darkness is calling the shots. You'll just have to accept it."**_

"Frutz please!" Frutz's ear twitched in regret. But no matter how much their master begged, no matter how much he cried, the Darklings could not help him.

"_**I am sorry, Boss."**_ Naruto's eyes widened as his companions began to disintegrate into dust. _**"But you're on your own for now."**_

_...shit._

0o0o0o

Winding through the empty streets, dark fog nipping at their heels, Kakashi reflected on the old town. Not many people had entered the Uchiha compound, even when it was bustling with the clan members. Although they were an awe inspiring clan, they tended to keep to themselves. Kakashi shook his head, it was more like the village isolated them on purpose. Then again, who could blame them, the Uchiha were not what you would call 'friendly'. They tended to have this arrogant air about them that could be construed as...prickish. That was especially true of the elders.

_Heck,_ Kakashi thought, _I even believed that Obito was no different._ But now standing there in the dim silence, he could not help but wish he got to know them better. After all, if Obito was different, the same could be said of other members of the clan.

The small team stood before an empty house, it was larger than the rest and located in the back end of the compound. The mist that crept around their toes, slowly climbed the stairs and under the door frame or even the windows. This defiance of physics would surprise most people, but Kakashi had seen way too much in ANBU to be perturbed by this...stuff. Just more cautious.

Sasuke ascended the stairs, his knees shook under stress. A creaking nose screeched as the Uchiha pushed the main entrance door aside. The mist seemed almost grateful for the removed obstacle and the small translucent current accelerated through the opening.

"Come on..." The jounin and the Sakura followed their host as he traced the mist further into his home. He paused slightly gazing into one of the side rooms. Kakashi did not have to guess who the former occupant was.

_Itachi..._

Finally, Sasuke stepped past the doorframe averting his eyes. Sakura gingerly followed tracing the mist to its final location; a door at the very end of the house.

Sasuke placed his hands on the doorframe smoothing his hands across the surface.

"What is behind there, Sasuke?"

"...Clan meeting room." Sasuke mumbled. "Place where my parents were murdered."

Kakashi paled as he stepped forward. "Maybe I should go in first."

Sasuke initially remained motionless, but with a sudden burst of energy slammed the door to the side.

"Naruto...what the FUCK are you doing?"

0o0o0o

The tendrils engulfing Naruto immediately vanished, leaving the blonde free to move.

BANG! The darkened room in which he lay flooded with natural light.

"Naruto...what the FUCK are you doing?"

Naruto's head shot up at the outburst gazing at the angry Sasuke. The mist continued to pour silently into his coat and through his nose into his lungs. Naruto paled as he gazed at the Uchiha, noticing something behind the anger, something hurt and wounded.

_You hoped for this didn't you Darkness?_

'_**Hope' implies that there was the element of chance, I PLANNED this.**_

The blonde moved his legs and arms to Naurto could not think of anything else to say to his team. "...hi."

Kakashi stepped into the room, the mist parting in the face of his steps. "So you are here. I hoped otherwise."

"Naruto, why are you here?" Sasuke's teeth were clenched so tightly, Naruto could hear them grinding.

_**I would not tell them, Naruto. That would make the situation worse.**_

_How could this situation be worse?_

_**I could think of a few things. **_

_...Yeah, well keep them to yourself. I'm done with this._

_**Remember, here I am stronger than ever, if you want them to leave here alive, you WILL NOT reveal me to them.**_

_..._

"I am healing." Naruto muttered. The team's eyes, particularly Sasuke's black eyes widened in surprise.

"W-why here?" Sakura seemed gobsmacked. "How?"

"I was telling the truth, I was injured from last night." Naruto shuffled to his feet, his eyes gazed anywhere except his teammates. "I would have been ill for a week, maybe more."

"That does not tell me anything." Sasuke glared.

Naruto continued. "A side effect of my power allows me to accelerate my healing, however location is key."

"Location?" Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Why does the Uchiha compound hold significance?"

"My power..." Naruto sighed. "can be augmented depending on location. The location from what the Darklings have told me, needs to be subject to a extreme...negative event."

Sakura frowned. "What are you saying? I don't understand."

Kakashi immediately "Naruto...are you telling me-"

"So you're saying that the reason you're healing is accelerated..." A flash of red crossed Sasuke's eyes, a small chill that could only be described as killing intent crawled up Naruto's spine. "...is because you are standing in the very room my mother and father were _butchered?"_

Naruto gazed at the surrounding room. _Sasuke's parents were killed here?...oh shit!_

"You dare..." Sasuke leered forward his eyes ablaze with rage delivering a firm shot directly at Naruto's chin. A horrifying 'click' rattled Naruto's jaw as it dislocated, the pain was only trumped by the second blow which sent him to the floor. "...IN MY HOUSE?"

The mist quickly delved into Naruto's lungs, setting his jaw like an unsympathetic physiotherapist. He felt Sasuke grab his throat and deliver another blow...and another...and another...

"I'LL! KILL! YOU!" Sasuke's screams were emphasised by each blow. Naruto's face would have been pulverised if it were not for their much stronger sensei who wrenched the enraged Uchiha off.

"Sasuke! Calm down!" Kakashi held on the thrashing boy with relative ease, misdirected rage was always weaker than a calm focused attack. "Sakura! Hold him!"

The rather stunned Sakura, who until her name was called out stood perplexed at the vicious side of Sasuke. Never had she seen such rage. She ran over and grabbed the boys ankles as Sasuke attempted to break free from their hold. It took all her might just to prevent getting herself lifted off the ground. Like all rage, however, it burnt out quickly. "...kill...you..." The Uchiha was communicating somewhere between a gasp and a sob.

Naruto wished to lapse into unconsciousness or at least to be gobbled up by the darkness and cast into the void. However, the Darkness was in a giving mood and he could feel the stinging sensation of the inevitable bruises caused by Sasuke's rage being healed at an accelerated rate.

_Why didn't the Darklings protect me? What was all that 'kill everyone' attitude?_

_**It's still there. I am more interested in training my rebellious host. You really need to heed my advice and do what I say. Failure to do so may make me less inclined to help you.**_

_So you'll prevent me from using my powers?_

_**Correction, I'll prevent you from using MY powers.**_

0o0o0o

Kakashi marvelled as the blonde recovered from the impressive hits delivered by the sobbing Sasuke. The jounin observed as the mist glided across his face wiping away his injuries like a towel would wipe away grime.

_Accelerated healing on...'cursed' land? This will get the Sandaime's attention._

"Sakura, take Sasuke outside." Kakashi finally loosened his grip on the raven-haired genin. "We'll be out momentarily."

"Okay, sensei. Come on, Sasuke-kun." Sakura leaned Sasuke against her shoulder. Although Sakura was relieved, it seemed sad the first time he would not object to her affection would be in this situation. _Dammit, Naruto._

Under Kakashi's gaze, the two genin left the room and the house. Only until their steps could not be heard did Kakashi's eyes return to Naruto. The slight narrowing of his revealed eye and his crossed arms indicated that he was not amused.

"Naruto. Get up." The jounin watched as the black garbed genin get up, the mist nipping at his heels like some affectionate house pet. "You okay?"

"I guess so." Even though there were no more markings, Naruto rubbed his jaw. Apparently the injury was gone yet the memory remained. With a nod Kakashi, skipped the pleasantries.

"Naruto. Explain. Now."

"You're not mad?" Naruto opened and closed his mouth, the jaw clicking in protest.

"More 'worried' and 'disappointed'. But not mad. Not yet, anyway." Kakashi's posture did not change. "You're stalling. Explain."

"When I preformed the mission with the team last night I strained my abilities by summoning too many Darklings. It was determined that I would be out for several days."

"A C-rank could have waited until you got better."

"Would the Sandaime waited?" It was Naruto's turn to narrow his eyes. "Your team went straight onto the mission after you completed your record. I don't think the Sandaime would have approved if I paused simply because I strained myself. He probably would have sent us back to D-ranks as we were not ready."

"How did you know that my team held the prior record?" Kakashi's scrutiny was briefly interrupted by curiosity.

"I read." Naruto nodded. "Wait...what do you mean prior record? We actually broke it?"

"...Yes. Congratulations, I guess." Kakashi allowed the blonde a small smile before going back to business. "So you have a rapid healing ability?"

"Yes."

"A rapid healing ability that can only work when you are on...'cursed' land?"

"The Darklings call it 'tainted', but yes."

"...and you didn't think to tell us." Kakashi's tone indicated it was a statement not a question.

"NO!" Naruto pleaded. "Sensei, I didn't know I could do that, nor did I know where I was until recently. You have to believe me!"

"...You expect me to take you at your word?" Naruto's shoulders dropped, he kind of expected this to happen. "Naruto, everything I have done was about fostering teamwork in Team Seven. You are the one who knew the answer without earning it and now you have betrayed yourself by not learning it. Your teammate worked with you, trusted you and cared for you. But it is obvious the feeling was not reciprocated."

Naruto felt his eyes water. "That's not true."

"Is it? I find you prancing around in an area which contains a deep emotional scar for Sasuke. I would not be surprised if you did this D-rank record for yourself and not your friends."

"That's not fair..."

"You have betrayed Sasuke's trust. Sakura's apprehension will naturally follow. As for me..." Kakashi's eyes narrowed. "I don't know what to think. But I do know that you are going to earn their trust all over again. I am more so tempted to cancel our C-rank mission."

Naruto wilted under the jounin's gaze, he could feel an amused Darkness coiling around in his stomach. "But I do not know if that it wise. This team has sacrificed to get a lot in the books, and I think Sasuke would be less pleased than you are."

Naruto's gaze returned to the jounin whose eye focused on the ceiling. "For now, we will continue with this mission. But do not think this is over, once we get back we are going to have a very long talk about trust. Understand?" Naruto nodded numbly, although he was relieved that the mission was not cancelled he was overjoyed.

"Let's go." Kakashi turned and headed out the door. Naruto trailed behind, the Darkness churning in his lungs.

_Are you happy now you son of a bitch?_

_**Happy? I am ecstatic.**_ Naruto did not doubt the thing inside him for one moment.

0o0o0o

A/N- Well guys there you have. I hope you enjoyed. If you have any questions, queries or crossover discussion give me a PM.

Review as always!


	20. Chapter 19: A Journey Begins

Disclaimer: I do not own either Naruto or the Darkness nor their prospective characters. Both stories lie with their prospective copyright.

Well gang, here is the latest chapter. This is more or less when they leave the village. Hope you enjoy it. Thank you for all your support and patience so far.

Just to comment on some messages and reviews that everyone seems to be waiting on baited breath for Naruto to really get his hands dirty. I have always believed, in this story and in canon, that Naruto is someone who holds an ocean of resentment, and he is very much tempted to act on it, he just needs a little push. This is hopefully going to be apparent in the Land of Wave Arc.

Furthermore I realise that Kakashi was OOC in the last chapter, but I believe the situation he found Naruto would pose a problem for Sasuke. Naruto in this universe, as a way to catch up, has become an avid reader and inevitably the Uchiha Massacre would have come up. Bottom line, Naruto should have known better, and he did, he was just tricked.

Special thanks to my beta, ABitterPill and narutoasatard who actually came up with the crazy Darkness song and a basic outline of the fight scene.

"Hi"- "Talking normal"

_Hi_- _Thinking normal_

"_**Hi"**_-_** "Darklings talking"**_

_**Hi- Darkness Talking**_

Translation:

_Nami no Kuni –_Land of Waves

_Hi no Kuni_- Land of Fire (Konoha)

_Suiton: Futtousui no Chozousho - _ Water Style: Boiling reservoir

_Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu_ – Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique

_Suiton: Suijinheki_ – Water Style: Water Wall

_**Chapter 19: A Journey Begins**_

"Are we ready to go now?" Tazuna fumed. "Wait...who is the twerp?"

"...What?" The blonde genin's face remained impassive, apart from a slight twitch in his brow.

"Are you telling me we came all the way out here for this guy?" Tazuna huffed. "Barely looks like a ninja, looks more like a samurai."

"...What?" The glare that Naruto emitted was lost on the old man. "Why the hell does everyone say that?"

"You do look like a samurai, Naruto." Sakura spoke quietly. "Maybe you should change your attire." Naruto was keen to argue, but Sakura's tone was less teasing and more cold. It was apparent that she was not on the blonde's side. _Then again I doubt she ever was on my side._

"He may not look like it, but he is strong. This team completed the D-rank record." Kakashi buffed his chest out.

"And that is supposed to mean something?" Tazuna's eyeballed the blonde with an upturned nose. This naturally spurred an already exasperated Naruto.

"_**Who is this jerk?"**_ The team spun around to see a pair of small bandaged mummies trailing behind Naruto. Team 7 collectively sighed, they were afraid this would happen.

"This is our client, Tazuna-san. We are to escort him back home to complete a bridge." Kakashi gestured to the old man. "I would prefer if you don't try to hurt him."

"_**A whole night of work and this is our client? The Sandaime is a dick."**_

"_**Wait a minute, does scaring him into a heart attack count as 'hurting' him?"**_

"What are those things?" Tazuna glared, but the team learned that there was little that could actually scare the little creatures. In fact, they seemed to enjoy it.

"Xran and Frutz. They are called Darklings..." Naruto mumbled. "They're my summons."

"_**Nice to meet you old man."**_ Frutz spoke in a 'friendly' tone, its mouth contorted into a smile._** "Call us gremlins and we'll disembowel you. Slowly."**_

"Your summons are rude Naruto." Kakashi frowned. "Try and keep them in line in front of a client."

"You want to order them around sensei, be my guest." Naruto growled, throwing his hands in the air. "I've practically given up. They might listen to you more than me."

Everyone knew that last night was nothing short of a spectacular display of teamwork. However, Kakashi telling the Darklings to shut up would only provoke the situation further, and most likely result in some form of biting.

"Naruto..."

"Guys...keep it down alright." Naruto whispered under his breath. The two Darklings immediately backed down, it was obvious their master was upset.

"_**Alright, we'll be nice to the old fart, at least for now."**_ Xran grunted, only to immediately perk up. _**"But hey, Frutz, we are going on a mission! Do you know what that means?"**_

"_**What?"**_

"_**We finally get to kill something!"**_ Xran hopped up and down in excitement. _**"About time!"**_

"_**YAY!"**_ Frutz and Xran high-fived each other, much to Team Seven's worry.

0o0o0o

Sakura sighed in frustration as they left the village. "Will those things ever shut up? It has been nearly half an hour."

"Don't provoke them Sakura." Sasuke's stone face contorted with rage. "If you show your irritation they will keep doing it."

"Those things are demons." Tazuna grumbled as he plowed forward. "I don't care if he is on your team as long as he and those Darkling-whatever's are far away from me."

Naruto trudged about sixty meters behind the rest of his team. He would like nothing better to walk beside them, but two issues prevented that. The first is that Sasuke is still murderously upset with him, and rightly so. Naruto knew, he himself would be upset if someone came along and said that they were using his parents death for personal benefit.

The second more current issue was that the Darklings seemed excessively happy. As soon as they left the village, a handful of Darklings, who insisted they were bodyguards gathered around the blonde. They seem so set on being allowed to kill something they were actually singing (it was bad singing but still singing nonetheless). The Darklings skipped in a style that could be considered 'cheery' singing their rather disturbing non-sensical rhyme for the umpteenth time:

"_**Hey! Hey! Ho! Ho! **_

_**It's off to killing we will go!**_

_**Gonna bloody my claws, we can get some ho's! **_

_**Hey! Hey! Ho! Ho! **_

_**Human meat is such a treat! **_

_**Both to fuck and to eat! **_

_**Hey! Hey! Ho! Ho!**_

_**In either order, it matters little so!**_

_**Because depravity is the way to go!**_

_**Hey! Hey! Ho! Ho!"**_

Considering their client Tazuna (whose lack of respect or even proper courtesy greatly annoyed Naruto) was growing restless, the group quickened their pace as the Darklings took up the rear with their sing song march of death. Naruto obliged and hung back with his summons.

As the Darklings sung their rhyme again, he gazed into the sky as the sun was heading from late afternoon to early evening. It seemed that a lot of time had passed during Naruto's recuperation.

_Still could have been out of commission if I didn't take the deal._ Naruto thought. _A whole week to get better. Considering what the fallout was, I should have taken my chances with a week in bed._

"Bloody hindsight." Naruto's mumbling was interrupted as he felt something tug on his pant leg. The blonde's gaze averted to the source; a diminutive Darkling, one who was not partaking in its comrades singing.

"What is it Gibbs?" Naruto murmured.

"_**Hey Boss, are you okay?"**_ Gibbs' eyes gleamed through the bandages and excess clothes. _**"You look upset."**_

"I am in fact." Naruto's eyes hardened. "Backstabbed by own summons and left exposed. The irony is not lost to me."

"_**I'm sorry Boss."**_ Gibbs twiddled its claws. _**"I made the suggestion, I thought you could handle it. If I knew it would hurt you, I never would have done it. I hope you can believe that."**_

"So do I." Naruto stared at the ground. "I can't go back in time, but I wish I could."

"_**Me too."**_ Gibbs' ears drooped. _**"If it's is worth anything, Frutz was not too happy with my suggestion. I was disciplined for what happened."**_

"Really?" Naruto raised a brow. "How?"

"_**Let's put it this way;" **_Gibbs gently rubbed its backside as it reflected on its punishment. _**"Frutz has a VERY strong leg, and he knows how to use it."**_

"Guess we both got what we deserved." Naruto smirked. "Still, why didn't Frutz try and change my mind?"

"_**Because you are as stubborn as a mule, Boss."**_ Frutz appeared on Naruto's other side. _**"Once you get an idea in your head, you have tunnel vision. Even when you were in agony, you still marched through it to the end."**_ Frutz gestured its clawed hand menacingly at the flinching Gibbs. _**"And dipshit here should have known that by now."**_

Naruto's eyes narrowed. "Speaking of 'knowing', were you aware of what was happening?"

"_**What?"**_

"Did you know that the Darkness planned to ruin whatever...friendship I have with the team? Did you lure me to the Uchiha compound? Did you know that the Darkness was going to keep me there until I was discovered?"

Frutz's eyes temporarily widened. _**"...Yeah, I knew. We knew the moment we found out about the Uchiha compound."**_

Naruto's glare turned an unpleasant shade of yellow. "You son of a bitch!" With all the rage in his body he slammed his foot directly into the chest of the small Darkling liaison. Frutz soared through the air like a soccer ball and landed in a nearby tree. This automatically cut the crazy singing of the crazy Darklings short.

"_**Boss I'm sorry!"**_ Frutz slowly climbed out a shrub, clutching its chest in pain. _**"We had no choice!"**_

"Don't give me that! You could have told me." Naruto glared at his subordinates, who in turn flinched in regret. "A little bit of forewarning would have been helpful."

"_**But-"**_ Gibbs attempted to speak.

"I don't want to hear a word out of you!" Naruto interrupted with a very hard smack across its face. "Not. One. Fucking. Word. All of you, either shut up or go away."

0o0o0o

The remainder of Team Seven and their client turned at the sound of some rather angry shouting. They turned to see Naruto deliver a very impressive back-hand at a Darkling standing right beside him.

"I don't want to hear a word out of you!" Naruto cried.

"Yeesh." Tazuna cringed. "The brat looks very angry. What happened?"

"Those Darkling's get under everyone's skin, even Naruto's." Kakashi tilted his head. "He probably got sick of their singing."

" About time if you ask me." Their client huffed.

Sasuke grumbled in agreement. "...finally some quiet. I hope he won't be like that for the rest of the mission."

"Kakashi-sensei," Sakura piqued, "what criteria qualifies as a C-rank mission?"

Kakashi nodded. "Generally, C-rank is any mission that takes place beyond the confines of the borders of Konoha. That can mean anything to delivering a message, transporting cargo across generally unassailed terrain or even being a bodyguard - which is what we are doing."

"Anything we should be worried about for C-ranks?"

"Not really. C-ranks are usually limited to bandits and low level thugs. Nothing out of the ordinary."

"What about other ninja?"

Their sensei shook their head. "If there was ninja, we would not be assigned. That is a B-rank mission. A-rank in the more extreme cases."

Sasuke let out a disappointed 'hmph'. They continued their pace past a small puddle on the road...

0o0o0o

"_**Boss-"**_

"Shut up."

"_**Boss, I really-"**_

"Shut up, Frutz."

"_**That-puddle-in-the-road-looks-strange!"**_ Frutz strung the sentence so quickly that Naruto had no choice but to listen.

"Puddle?" Naruto gazed at the surroundings and sure enough there was a small pool of water in the middle of road. Initially Naruto did not seem perturbed but he felt a stinging sensation in his eyes. Like that, there was a strange mirage hovering just above the ground, and where the 'puddle' was stood two individuals. They each had a rather unpleasant looking gloved hand that contained razor claws on their fingertips. They were similarly garbed and virtually the same in every way except for their Kirigakure Hitai-ate; one had a two horned 'devil' design while the other had one horn protruding from the middle like a rhinoceros. Both had a chain on their gauntlets linking them together.

"Uh...guys?" Naruto called out to the group ahead. Kakashi did a quick half turn in surprise. "There is something over here!"

The two strange individuals eyes widened in surprise, they obviously did not anticipate discovery at this stage. The body of water exploded in a spectacular display, erupting like a geyser over ten meters into the air. Naruto stood gobsmacked at the explosion.

"We've been discovered." The two horned man spoke as he rushed out of the explosion.

"No matter." The single horned counterpart, the calmer of the two gestured to attack. "Stick to the plan."

"Sakura, guard Tazuna." Kakashi withdrew a pair of kunai from his pouch. "Naruto! You're up!"

"Got it!" Naruto pulled out a rather big machete, a testament to his wood-chopping days. He did a side glance on his small demonic comrades. "Guys, don't screw me on this." He whispered. "You want to get back in my good graces then you help me."

"_**Got it!"**_ Frutz cracked his knuckles. _**"Boys! Sharpen your claws!"**_

Like a pack of wild animals, the small entourage of mummified Darklings stampeded forward. If the small mass of knee-high creatures armed with sharp knives and classes did not distract the attackers, the curses the Darklings threw would have certainly got their attention.

"_**Oh great look a married couple...I didn't know homosexual marriage was granted...I have one question though why do you wear a mask?...You must be one ugly son of a bitch...I swear once I find your family tree...we will chop it down with a chainsaw...Guess what dipshits? **__**I know what sign you were born under... The 'RED LIGHT DISTRICT'...Because your mom was a whore!...And your dad too!"**_

"What the-!" The devil horned man paused as the Darklings scrambled to his leg trying to claw his thigh muscle out. "AGH! Brother! Help me!"

"Hold on!" His comrade delivered a firm kick into the face of the closest Darkling.

"_**OW! If I don't kill you, I hope you die of testicular cancer!"**_

The horned man turned to deal with his brother's situation only to see Naruto coming at him with a rather ominous and large machete. He immediately preformed several hand seals in quick succession.

"_Suiton: Futtousui no Chozousho!" _Steam flew out from under his garbs and scattered in all directions sending the Darklings around him and his two-horned comrade flying in the air, cursing wildly.

The hot steam entered Naruto's nose, the heat brought tears to his eyes stopping him dead in his tracks. The ninjutsu did not dissipate quickly but instead hung in the air, giving their attackers time to recover. Naruto's vision readjusted just in time to see several dozen shuriken launched out of the mist with precision directly at his head.

"_**Get down!"**_ Gibbs leapt and grabbed Naruto by the collar and flattened him on the ground with a loud 'oomph!'. Naruto could hear the 'fwoosh' sound of the deadly weapons flying above him.

Naruto heard Frutz taking charge of the situation. _**"Gibbs, get the Boss to safety."**_

"_**Right." **_Gibbs proceeded to grab Naruto and drag him as much as he could into the shadowy trees on the sides of the road.

"Gibbs, let go of me!" Naruto rustled in defiance. "The team needs me."

"_**Boss,"**_ Gibbs muttered under his breath, _**"you really need to shut it. Let us handle this."**_

0o0o0o

"You missed, brother." The mist cleared to reveal a rather annoyed ninja scolding the other one.

"Sorry Gōzu, I was a little unprep- Gōzu, look out!" Both ninja spun around just in time to see the kunai held by the silver-haired jounin fly straight at them and then...past them?

Both attackers were surprised as the kunai ran between them and landed with a dull thump on the ground. "Pfft." Gōzu mused. "He's really a jounin?"

The devil horned ninja joined his brother in a chuckle, however Kakashi seemed unconcerned. "Sasuke. Do it." The Uchiha jumped forward and flashed a series of hand signs that were all too familiar to Team Seven.

"_Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!"_ Sasuke expelled a massive fireball from the mouth. The searing heat soared forward like a rocket. The attackers attempted to sidestep the technique only to, to their great surprise, find themselves immobile. They glanced down to see the chain that bound them was pinned to the ground. Pinned by the very kunai that they dismissed as a lazy attack, if they glanced up, they would see a rather amused Kakashi.

"Brother!" The devil horned ninja pulled a small water canteen from his pouch and threw it to the ground. His brother nodded with approval.

"Got it." Preformed another set of seals and cried out another jutsu. "_Suiton: Suijinheki!_"

The water in the canteen soared like a bird in the air and wrapped around the ninja like folded wings. When the great ball of fire impacted the shield of water, there was an explosion of steam and heat.

"Good idea, Meizu." The single horned Gōzu nodded in compliment. Their relief it was short lived as they saw the masked jounin rush out of the steam like a phantom his fists aimed at their heads.

"Duck!" Meizu cried as they both acted on their prompts, sinking to their knees avoiding the attack. Kakashi did not look worried. _They aren't going anywhere...unless of course they could separate from each other._

"Split!" Gōzu cried.

Chink. Chink. The chain that was holding the two brothers fell away.

_Dammit._ Kakashi frowned. _I hate you hindsight._

"GO!" Both ninja cried as they scattered sideways, each sending a pair of shuriken to Kakashi who expertly dodged them . However due to the angle of the attacks he had to move forward instead of backwards, giving the assassins room to move towards Sasuke, Sakura...and Tazuna.

"Sakura look out!" Sasuke leapt into the path of the one called Meizu, kunai drawn. The ninja's surprise was brief and clashed with Sasuke with a rather unpleasant looking blade.

"Get the old man!" Meizu cried as he slowly began to overpower the raven-haired Uchiha. Sasuke's eyes hardened as he saw the other attacker fly past him.

"Got it!" Meizu's brother rushed past, the only thing blocking his way was the pink haired girl. His clawed hand reached forward and Sakura braced for impact.

"Get back Sakura!" A heavy cloaked Naruto ran out of the shrubs, spear tackling Gōzu. Both the attacker and the blonde veered off at an awkward angle.

"Oof!" Gōzu quickly recovered and plunged his clawed hand directly into Naruto's chest. Sakura's eyes widened in horror as she saw the claws bored through Naruto's back.

"Naruto!"

"Now you're dead brat!" Gōzu chuckled. "Was it worth it?" The assassin's smile vanished when he saw the expression of the genin's face consisted of mild surprise and eyes like red coals.

"_**Oh yeah."**_ Dopplus looked down at the incapacitated twin. _**"Well buddy, looks you're fucked."**_ Dopplus' form contorted briefly. The Darkling flexed its claws and placed it under the terrified assassins head at the base of the jaw. The assassin screamed something horrible. _**"Hey buddy, guess what?"**_

"W-what?" The assassin pleaded as he gazed into the menacing eyes of the creature. Sakura immediately grabbed the client and carted him off several meters down the road, she knew what happened next. Dopplus' grin mashed his face into a row of incredibly large and sharp teeth as he whispered two words.

"_**Kaboom, bitch."**_ The Darkling detonated in large explosion, taking the would-be assassin with it.

"No! Gōzu!" The eyes of the other twin widened to the size of dinner plates. Sasuke quickly took the advantaged and delivered a very thorough hit to the side of his head with a flying roundhouse kick. With a solid 'crack', the remaining brother dropped like a rock to the ground.

"Sakura, Sasuke, are you alright?" Kakashi stepped forward, his revealed eye indicated that he was relieved.

"Yeah, we're fine." Sakura sighed.

"Geez." Tazuna seemed so tense he looked like was ready to jump out of his skin. "I take back what I said, you guys are very much ninja."

"You alright?" Sakura queried.

"Okay I guess." Tazuna placed a hand gingerly on his stomach. "I have not been this tense for years. I feel like I am going to be sick." He took a shaky hand to the spot where the Darkling exploded. "What was that?"

"That," Sasuke rubbed a hand through his hair as he pocketed his kunai, "was Dopplus. A Darkling clone, he has a tendency to explode."

"Apparently." Tazuna took in a deep breath as he began to calm down. "Where is the other one?"

Kakashi glanced around in surrounding forest. "Naruto!" He called. "Naruto where are you? It's over."

He could hear a rustle of movement and glanced at the source of a nearby shrub. "...did you hear him Gibbs? It's over! Get off me!" The team saw the real Naruto hobble out of the bushes, minus his coat and hat, with a rather small Darkling grabbing his leg trying to pull him back in.

"_**Boss, you don't know that for sure!"**_

"Quit babying me!" Naruto grunted. "Look! One guy is down, the other got blown to smithereens."

"_**Hey Emo-freak! Is he dead?"**_ Gibbs called.

"Go to hell." Sasuke pulled his best 'I will kill you' glare' which Gibbs dismissed.

"_**I'll take that as a 'yes'."**_ Gibbs immediately let go of Naruto's leg.

"Thank you." Naruto turned to Sakura. "Sakura, you alright? Did Dopplus give you time to leave?"

"Yeah he did." Sakura straightened her long hair down. "Thanks."

Naruto gave a reproachful glance to the Uchiha. "Everything good, Sasuke?"

"Fine." He grunted. "I'm still pissed at you."

Naruto nodded in understanding but did not continue the subject. He turned to see Kakashi give him a solid nod. "Good work everyone."

"So what do we do now?"

"We'll have a little chat with our survivor here." The jounin tapped the ninja assassin with his foot.

"_**I don't know about you guys, but I think this is time for a celebration."**_ Everyone turned to see Frutz waddle out of the forest. _**"We killed something!"**_

"_**First time in about three months!"**_ Gibbs squeed.

Dren pulled out a small pocket calculator and began typing in numbers. _**"Actually three months, two weeks, four days-"**_

"_**Shut up, nerd."**_ Xran smacked the smart Darkling upside the head._** "The important part is that we killed someone. Do you want to know what the really good part is?"**_

"_**What?"**_

"_**We have leftovers."**_ The Darklings jeered as they swarmed over to the smouldering crater helping themselves to the remains.

"I take back what I said," Tazuna's pigment took an unpleasant shade of green as he watched as one Darkling smacked another away with a half burnt human leg. "I AM going to be sick."

"I think...I'll join you." Sakura took on a similar unpleasant shade her chest began contracting with the tell tale signs of nausea. Both the old man and the kunoichi ran off behind a nearby tree, the sounds of them heaving echoed in the forest.

0o0o0o

"_**I call dibs on a leg...Up yours! I called it first... Fine! I didn't want his inferior calf muscle anyway!... Gimme!...Wait a minute, I can't find his head..I can't believe this... Come on, get off! ...This is a perfect waste of blood...Anyone bring a straw?... Gimme!...Did anyone see his head?...I am pretty sure it flew off in that direction...Pollock, go take a look...I call dibs on the heart... Son of a-...You know, this guys' spleen tastes pretty good..."**_

"Get them away from my brother!" The assassin cried. He was currently tied to a nearby tree, but he had a clear view of the remains of his brother's corpse and the Darklings that were eating it. Frutz sat calmly on the ninja's lap

"Not until you tell us something." Kakashi's soothing tone did little to reassure the frantic ninja. "Alright punk, why are you here?"

"Please!"

"Listen kid." Kakashi folded his arms. "Your brother is dead. I know that sucks but you started it first."

"I'm not telling you anything!"

"_**Really?"**_ One of the Darklings smirked. _**"Hey Boss, let us go to work on him. He can still talk if he doesn't have any arms."**_

Naruto did a side glance to his sensei who shook his head. "Sorry guys no such luck. Have to stick with the dead guy."

"_**Awwwwwww."**_ The Darklings' did their best attempt at being cute. _**"Pllllleeeeaaassssseeeeee!"**_

"No means no." Kakashi declared the situation closed. The Darklings' ears drooped and returned to the rest of the hoard that were busy eating.

"_**OH HELL YEAH!" **_Everyone spun around to see Xran wander back from the woods something very familiar.

"Gōzu!" The brother cried.

Xran held the relatively intact head of what used to be Gōzu in its claws, admiring the handiwork. _**"HAHA! His head popped off like a zit, **__**it's a shame he wasn't more HEADstrong."**_

"_**Oh yes, it's PUN time!"**_

The two horned shinobi's chest began to rise and fall at a rapid rate. As he gazed at the remains of his brother, his skin looked deathly pale. _**"Oh look his brother is freaking out! HAHA! Hey this is not the time to lose one's HEAD."**_

"Alright kid. I'll make a deal." Kakashi nodded and knealt beside the remaining assassin's lap with amused his voice as smooth as silk. "Your brother is dead. I can't change that. However, if you answer me honestly and completely I will tell the Darklings to stop eating your brother and you will be able to give him a proper burial."

The Darklings immediately stopped eating and gazed in horror at the jounin. _**"WHAT?"**_

Kakashi continued. "However if you refuse to answer then there will be nothing left of your brother. He will be completely devoured."

"_**Hey dumbass killer!" **_Frutz waved his hands urgently in front of his face._** "Don't tell us anything!"**_

"Naruto..." Kakashi glanced at Naruto for encouragement.

"They won't do anything so long as you cooperate." Naruto nodded. "You have my word."

"O...okay." The assassin's head flopped down to his chest.

"_**Whoa, you sold out pretty darn quick, that's not the way to get aHEAD in life."**_

"What's your name?" Kakashi's attempt at gaining the stunned shinobi's attention. Frutz promptly smacked the assassin back to reality. "Meizu isn't it?"

"Huh? Buh..." The assassin stared helplessly at the jounin, who could not help but feel pity for him, albeit briefly.

"Your name."

"Y-Yeah. My name is...Meizu." The assassin tried to avoid making eye contact with his dead brother, but he felt drawn to the spectacle.

"Okay Meizu, why did you try to kill us?"

"I wasn't!" The assassin pleaded. "We weren't after you! It wasn't-"

"_**I know it wasn't your fault." **_A Darkling snatched the severed head and dangled it in plain view of Meizu. "_**Let me guess; you were HEADing in the wrong direction."**_ Several Darklings sniggered.

"Naruto, try to keep them down." Kakashi glanced at the blonde genin.

"Okay sensei." Naruto wandered to the Darkling's trying to keep the quiet.

"We were not after you." Meizu jerked his head to where the old man was no longer throwing up but was still dry heaving. "We were after him!"

"Tazuna the bridge builder." Kakashi's eyes narrowed at their client. "I suspected as much." Their client's brief sickness was overcome by a chilling feeling as he felt his hair stick up at the back of his neck.

"Okay Meizu, you were hired by someone to kill our client." Kakashi returned his gaze to the assassin. "Who was your client?"

"I don't know. We were contracted by a middleman."

"It's okay guys." Kakashi sighed. "You can eat the corpse and when you're done, eat this guy."

"NO! WAIT!" Meizu pleaded. "I don't know who hired me we were contracted by Momochi Zabuza!"

"The Demon of the Hidden Mist?" Kakashi raised an eyebrow in surprise. Then realisation hit; this was one of the Seven Ninja Swordsman of Kiri. "You sure about that?"

"It is the truth." Meizu's eyes teared up "I swear it. Please...let me bury him." Kakashi's stern eye gazed at the incapacitated ninja; there were no lies behind his words.

"Naruto tell them to stop." Kakashi nodded. "Leave the body alone."

"_**WHAT! BULLSHIT!"**_ The Darklings cried in objection.

"Okay guys, you heard him." Naruto commanded. "Drop everything! Do it now!"

"_**What a rip!"**_ One Darkling cursed as he unceremoniously dropped a half eaten hand. _**"Hey we don't interrupt you when you drink your miso soup, leave us alone when we are eating Cyclops!"**_

Naruto delivered a swift boot up the objecting Darklings behind which quickly brought them into line. However, they seemed to draw the line when it came to leaving the severed head alone.

"_**We're not down with it yet!"**_

The jounin ignored the inane ramblings of the disturbed creatures. Much to his chagrin, he had seen worse."We'll send a message to Konoha." Kakashi stood and dusted himself down. "They'll arrest you, but they will prepare a funeral for your brother."

"Dammit." Naruto cursed. "Listen you idiots drop the friggin head! This is not funny!"

"_**HAHAHA!"**_ a Darkling jeered. _**"Oh wait, I got one."**_ The Darkling grabbed the severed head and held it right where its crotch would be. _**"Don't feel too bad for him, it **__**looks like he gives good HEAD after all!"**_

When Naruto approached, the Darkling passed the severed head to another who held it over its bad like ears scratching the helmet. _**"I never understood the concept of a hat, the whole things goes over my HEAD!"**_ The small entourage of Darklings howled with laughed poking fun at the rather stunned surviving brother who was close to passing out.

"Pollock!" The blonde reached for the mischievous Darkling who passed the head on to the diminutive Dren who handled it with glee. "Dren!"

"_**Last one Boss, last one!"**_ Dren voice sounded just above the demonic chuckling of his colleagues. _**"Okay...He'll never be the HEAD of a major corporation." **_

Silence.

The Darklings stared blankly at their intelligent counterpart. Apparently, they thought Dren's attempt at humour was greatly lacking.

"_**Lame."**_

"_**Oh fuck you." **_ Dren slammed the head on the ground so hard, they could hear the crack of bone._** "That was funny and I don't give a damn what you think!"**_

As the sensei finished his note to the ANBU, Kakashi turned to stare at the terrified Meizu who turned a deathly white. With their attempt at humour over, the Darklings slowly reshuffled themselves around a rather annoyed Naruto. Sasuke, who watched the display before them did little more than have a look of complete bewilderment and disgust.

"Sakura, Tazuna-san, I think the Darklings have had their...fun."

Two individuals stepped gingerly into the clearing. While Sakura faced her team, she could not help but steal a look at the carnage. Their client on the other hand refused to even look at any of them, instead he focused on the horizon where their destination was.

"We better head out." The masked jounin slowly shuffled the group forward. The jounin watched as the pink and raven haired Uchiha stayed close to their client. Naruto trailed slightly behind them, Darklings in tow.

He noticed the occasional back glances of Sakura, the object that got her attention was the spectacle of the dead ninja and his weeping brother.

"You shouldn't turn around Sakura." Kakashi spoke gently. "Let it be."

Sakura jumped at his voice. "But why sensei?"

"It may be harsh, but Naruto taught you a valuable lesson." Kakashi spoke aloud. "Ninjas fight ninjas, and people will die. That is how it has always been. Meizu and Gōzu knew the risks and unfortunately for them, they lost in this case."

"Eventually, you will all face an enemy that you will not stand a chance against. Or he or she will have a trick up their sleeve that you will not anticipate. This is where I come in, I am here to help you become stronger, become smarter or even both. It is up to you as to which avenue will choose."

"It just seems like a horrible way to go." Sakura heard the sound of Naruto 'hmph' and she glanced apologetically.

"Welcome to the ninja world Sakura. This is the life we lead." Kakashi patted her gently on the head. "If you don't like it...well I guess you should call it quits. I am not trying to be harsh, it is just the truth."

Sakura tilted her head downward as she thought about the tough decisions that are yet to come. "I understand. Thanks sensei."

"No problem." Kakashi's eyes changed form kind to tutor to harsh ninja as he gazed at their client. "Speaking of truth Tazuna-san, I would say you are not being entirely honest with us."

"But-"

"Save it, Tazuna-san. You lied, and because of that you put my students and myself in jeopardy. I'm going to give you a chance to put your thoughts in order until we reach the shore. Then you are going to give me the complete and honest truth."

"_**Psst...Cyclops?"**_ Kakashi glanced down to see a Darkling (most likely Frutz). _**"Can we kill the old fart too?" **_Tazuna did not turn, but Team Seven noticed several hairs on his neck stand up straight.

"Maybe." Kakashi had no intention of hurting the old man, regardless of what he had done. But it never hurt to put the fear of Kami into a client. "It all depends if I am happy with the truth, if he gives it."

"_**You know what Kakashi? We like you."**_

0o0o0o

Gazing across the large body of water separating _Nami no Kuni _from _Hi no Kuni_ was like gazing at another world. _Hi_ had clear skies and forests full of animals of all kinds, _Nami_ was quiet and desolate enshrouded by an ominous mist. Team Seven could make the outline of a large yet incomplete bridge. Tazuna guided them far from the main transport lanes near a small desolated part of the border.

Kaji, an old friend of Tazuna waited by the bank constantly peering over his shoulder. It was only until all of Team Seven and Tazuna came on board did he seem to relax. However, the Darklings made short work of that. While Frutz, Xran and Dren sat next to Naruto in the cramped boat, the remaining Darkling company swam like sharks around wooden island.

"We don't want to get caught so we'll have to do this the old fashioned way." Taji whispered as he picked up a wooden oar. "It'll take us a few minutes to get across. So long as we follow the bridge we'll reach _Nami_."

"Thanks Taji." Tazuna turned away from his colleague to face the inquisition.

"Before we get to the other side there are some questions we need to ask you Tazuna-san. I think you should tell us what is going on, namely who is after you and why."

Tazuna briefly let his defences down and the masked jounin saw the old man hiding behind the facade of strength.

"Or we can call off this mission the moment we hit shore. After that you are on your own."

The deafening silence was interrupted only by the occasional splashing of a nearby Darkling. "Well," Tazuna sighed, "it seems I have to tell you the real story."

"_**No shit."**_ Frutz whispered.

"I mean, I would like you to hear my story."

"_**Ugh."**_ Xran groaned. _**"Great, another long winded speech designed to appeal to the masses."**_

"As you said, I did lie on my initial application." Tazuna sulked. "An extremely terrible man is after my life."

"And that would be?"

"I am sure you have heard of the businessman Gatō."

"Gatō?" Kakashi's visible eyes became as wide as a dinner plate. "As in _one of the richest men_ in the known world, Gatō? The man who _founded_ the Gatō Corporation? _That_ Gatō?"

"Yes. On the surface he runs a legitimate marine transportation business. But underground, he uses gangs and ninjas to smuggle drugs and contraband goods. He also uses his influence to take over other corporations and even countries. He came to our lands a year ago and began taking over our sea traffic and transportation effectively severing us from the outside world."

"As such he effectively controls the entire land and has placed a stranglehold on the people. He has blocked imports and exports, we cannot get product out, and we cannot get food in." Tazuna smirked. "He does fear however one thing, my bridge. It has been under construction for a while and Gatō has been trying to undermine me in every way he knows how. If it is completed then his entire grip on this country fades to dust."

"_**This is easy."**_ Frutz placed a thoughtful claw under its chin. _**"If we kill this **__**Gatō, then boom; mission complete."**_

"Oh please!" Tazuna chuffed. "He is guarded by an army of soldiers."

"_**Okay."**_ Frutz's ear twitched. _**"So we kill them and then we kill Gatō."**_

"It's not that simple," Kakashi turned to Frutz, "we still have a problem."

"_**Am I the only one who believes, this problem can be solved by killing it?"**_

"This is not a joke Frutz. If Meizu told the truth, then we will have to deal with Momochi Zabuza, the Demon of the Hidden Mist." Kakashi spoke the words with a tone that sent shivers down all the spines of Team Seven. The Darklings seemed less than impressed.

"_**Spooky."**_ Frutz mused. _**"Actual demons versus a human pretending to be one, I am so scared."**_

"He is a heavy hitter. He has a significant bounty attached to him and appears in my own Bingo Book." Kakashi turned to face Tazuna. "Tazuna-san this is serious. Why did you hide these facts when you came to us?"

"We are an incredibly poor people. Even the feudal lord does not have that much money. We don't have the money to request for an expensive B-rank or above mission." Tazuna shuffled a little in his seat as he tensed his body. "If you quit your mission after I land, I'll be killed for sure on my way home."

_You sneaky little bastard._ Kakashi cursed as he saw his argument come together. _Playing the guilt card after you lied to us._

"But there's no need to blame yourselves. My death will only cause my cute eight year old grandson to cry and cry and cry some more! And my daughter will just hold a grudge against Konoha ninja and live a lonely life! But it's not your fault!"

_Jerk._ Kakashi groaned as he gazed at the members of Team Seven. All of them looked incredibly flustered, their faces racked with guilt, even the stoic Sasuke. _All of us agreed to help you the moment you said you would be killed on the way home._

"_**Don't worry old man. We won't let that happen." **_Frutz waddled across the boat and placed a gentle hand on their client knee. Needless to say everyone on the boat was surprised, a Darkling showing empathy? Sasuke looked like he was about to have a stroke.

Naruto was not so convinced. "Frutz..."

"Really?" Tazuna cheered up. "You won't let that happen?"

"_**Of course old man, because we're going to gut you long before his people can."**_

"I knew it." Naruto immediately leaned forward and grabbed Frutz by the tip of his long bat like ear and pulled him to his side of the boat.

"_**Wait guys."**_ Dren popped up. _**"If we kill him, then the mission is over. We could get a much higher kill ratio if we keep him alive."**_

"_**Nerd has a point, but that is theoretical as opposed to virtual certainty. I vote we kill him! All in favour say 'I'!"**_ Frutz cried. A series of Darklings responded.

"_**I!...I!...I!...I!...Ow! My eye!" **_Tazuna's eyes widened in horror as the little creatures around the water gazed at him expectantly.

"But my family-"

"_**The dead guy raises a good point, what do we do with the family?"**_ Xran smiled.

"_**That's easy; kill them."**_ The snake like Goldbrick peered over the boat. _** "Hey old man, before you die a horrible death would you kindly give us directions to your house? It would suck not to put your family out of their misery. That is just cruel."**_

"_**But what about the people?"**_

"_**They can go fuck themselves!"**_ Jeered a Darkling. _**"With a jug of whipped cream and honey!"**_

"_**You know, we haven't killed a whole country in a while..."**_

"But I-I-"

"Relax Tazuna-san, they won't hurt you. Right Naruto?"

Kakashi turned to see Naruto attempting to bear hug several squirming Darklings from trying to launch themselves at their client. "Yeah. Enough Xran! Don't make me hit you again."

"_**But Kakashi-sensei said we could."**_ The bandaged Xran turned to the masked jounin. _**"Isn't that right Kakashi?"**_

"I meant it in jest!" Kakashi did his best to dismiss the old man's wounded stare. "Even if I did, he gave me a sufficient explanation."

"_**...I take it back, we don't like you Cyclops."**_ With that Xran flopped himself on the boat and crossed his arms. Several other Darklings cursed as the proceeded to turn about in the water in frustration.

"Relax Tazuna-san...I guess it can't be helped. We will continue escorting you."

Tazuna's shoulders drooped in relief, both from not being killed at that his guilt trip paid off.

"I knew it." Sasuke muttered. "You Darklings are idiots."

"_**Hey Emo-freak, how about you tell us that knee slapper about your fam-MMMPHF!"**_ The sound of Frutz's cruel statement which would have no doubt have sent an already angry Uchiha over the edge was quickly silenced by a quick hand gagging it.

"Frutz, I swear I will kick you back to Konoha if you keep this up."

"_**...yeah...I would rather avoid that."**_ Frutz quickly went limp and Naruto gently placed him next to Xran.

"_**But wait though...I can't believe it."**_ Xran's ears extended to their full height.

"_**What?"**_ Frutz pouted.

"_**Gatō is the founder of a corporation!"**_

"_**Yeah. So?"**_

"_**Don't you get it? Dren's pun earlier actually fits. Dren is now funny!"**_

Frutz's eyes widened in realisation _**"Woah! You're actually right. Dren! You're funny now! Congratulations!"**_ The lead Darkling delivered a hard slap across the back of their intellectual colleague, several Darklings cheered in support. _**"It only took six thousand years!"**_

"_**I hate you guys...But thanks."**_ Dren's smile perked up. _**"While we're at it what do you say we-"**_

"_**Dren, you are funny now..."**_ Frutz patted the Darkling on the head. _**"Don't ruin the moment. Just appreciate it."**_

0o0o0o

A/N: Well guys there you go. I always thought that the Demon Brothers, who are chunin, got flattened so quickly in the canon series. So I decided to put a little fight in them.

I know this chapter is a little on the short side. Things will be picking up quickly in the next chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. Review and PM as always.

Take care!

Badsy


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